VILNIUS, Dec 10, BNS - The Lithuanian parliament's Commission for Suicide Prevention has asked the country's new government to earmark funds in next year's budget for training over 7,000 specialists to recognize and respond to suicide risks.

The commission is asking the government to increase next year's allocations to the Health Ministry by 715,413 euros and to appoint an institution in charge of organizing training for 7,062 specialists in municipalities with the highest suicide risk level.

According to 2015 data from the World Health Organization, Lithuania has the world's fifth-highest rate of suicide per 100,000 population after Sri Lanka, South Korea, North Korea and Guyana.

Based on data from the State Mental Health Center, 896 people took their lives in Lithuania last year.

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