Professor Charity Sylvia Akotia, former Dean, School of Social Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon has called for the amendment of the 1960 Criminal Code Act 29, Section 57, which criminalises suicide. She said criminalising suicide discouraged people from seeking treatment for their suicidal tendencies, which in turn increased their risk of dying. Prof Akotia made the call at an inaugural lecture on the topic: ‘ When Life Becomes Unbearable: Dynamics and Complexities of Suicidal Behaviour and Prevention in a Cultural Context.’ The lecture was organized by the University of Ghana as part of its 75th anniversary. The Professor said decriminalisation of attempted suicide was possible if relevant stakeholders intervened and offered the best available care through the mandated health institutions which handled public health emergencies. She said the fear of prosecution if one were to fail in taking his or her life would influence the person to perform extreme measures, rather than make room for a change of heart. Prof Akotia said suicide was mostly a matter of public health and a common occurrence among people with suicidal behaviour who were suffering from mental illness. She said when people feel overwhelmed by challenges with no viable options, they contemplate suicide, perceiving suicide as the only option out. Research shows that 93 per cent of people who attempted suicide had a mental disorder when performing the act. The World Health Organization revealed in 2021 that globally, about 700,000 people take their lives every year, and for every suicide death, there are at least 20 suicide attempts. The World Health Organization revealed that early identification and early intervention were two of the most effective suicide prevention methods. She said socio-cultural factors such as relationship breakups, neglect, hopelessness, and other emotional tendencies caused people to commit suicide. She therefore called for a support system for such people and a national suicide prevention centre to collect information and use it to plan for suicide prevention measures. Prof Akotia called on authorities to adopt a public health approach and focus on prevention measures for suicide, adding that religious bodies have a role to play by providing support and hope to people who attempt to commit the act. She called for the creation of awareness about the act since most communities saw it as taboo to speak about the issue because people were influenced to engage in the act. The Professor called on the Media to be circumspect in their reportage on suicide issues because it influences people to emulate such acts.
Source: Ghana News Agency