Taipei  - Taiwan's suicide rate fell in 2007, but still nearly 4,000 Taiwanese committed suicide last year, averaging one suicide every two hours, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

A total of 3,933 people killed themselves in 2007, averaging 10.7 suicides per day or one suicide every two hours. The suicide rate was 17.2 suicides per every 100,000 population.

The 2007 figure was 473 suicides less than 2006 when 4,406 Taiwanese ended their lives and the suicide rate was 19.9 suicides per 100,000 population.

Huang Hsu-ming, head of DOH's Statistics Section, attributed the drop in the suicide rate to government and civic groups' efforts in suicide prevention, like opening suicide-prevention hot lines and telling people to treasure life.

But the DOH must strengthen suicide-prevention work because although Taiwan's suicide rate fell in 2007, suicides among the 15-24 age group rose and among those who committed suicide, five were children aged 10-14, he said.

Since 1982, suicide has been the ninth leading cause of death in Taiwan. The most common methods are burning charcoal, leaping from tall buildings and igniting gas tanks. (dpa)