WA Govt told to address Aboriginal 'suicide crisis'

from ABC News

The Western Australian Government is being urged to help combat what an Aboriginal health group describes as a "suicide crisis".

The Aboriginal Health Council of WA says Indigenous suicide levels have spiked across the great southern and the Kimberley regions.

The council's Vicki O'Donnell says the situation in Narrogin last year where eight men took their lives in a six-month period is not an isolated case.

"We had a community outside of Derby not so long ago who had a huge number of suicides - very similar to Narrogin, Albany," she said.

Ms O'Donnell says the State Government needs to work with Aboriginal health groups to develop a state-wide suicide prevention strategy.

The issue will be discussed at the council's annual conference in Perth today.