The number of suicides in Kerala [Images] has declined gradually in the last few years, states a recent survey by a non-governmental organisation. But the survey also reveals the alarming fact that most of the people who committed suicide in 2006 are housewives.  

"Formation of more and more organisations working towards the prevention of suicides has largely helped. Statistics show that the suicide rate has come down in the recent years," said Dr P N Suresh Kumar, the secretary of Thanal Foundation Trust. 

The NGO's findings refute the perception that farmers are the most suicide-prone section of society. According to Kumar, housewives accounted for the highest number of such deaths (15 per cent) in 2006, followed closely by the unemployed (13.5 per cent) and farmers (12.5 per cent).

While 30.8 people per one lakh population committed suicide during 2003, the highest in the last five years, the figure declined to 29.6 in 2004 and further came down to 28 in 2005, he said.

The NGO also pointed out that the number of school children committing suicide has dropped drastically in the recent past, after the government introduced the grading system.

Kumar said that NGOs also played a crucial role in counseling troubled school students. His findings were based on a detailed survey about the various factors that force people to end their lives. Kumar will release a book on the subject titled Suicide prevention manual for health care workers on September 10, which is the World anti-Suicide Day, to create public awareness.