Yellow oleander poisoning - in search of an antidote

Abstract

Introduction The WHO definition of health had included physical, mental and social wellbeing in addition to lack of disease or infirmity. Many countries have concentrated on physical health as is happening in Sri Lanka and we have to a good extent focussed on social health supported by successive political will but sadly there has been much less interest and action on promoting mental health. There is now a growing trend to list mental health in the forefront of international public health. This may be an important reason why a large number of suicides occur in the developing world particularly in Asian countries like Sri Lanka where “mental well being” is not carefully addressed. The work of Murray and Lopez highlights this when they estimated that nearly 600,000 people died by suicide in the developing world in the year 1990 making it the 12th most important cause of death. The larger issue is the many who attempt but do not intend suicide. This group now distinguished as the “deliberate self harm” group is receiving much publicity in the developing world.