By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Ghana’s Parliament has amended sections of the Criminal Offenses Act of 1960, which criminalized attempted suicide.
Per the new law, any person who attempts to take his or her own life will be considered a mental health issue requiring assistance by law.
Ghanaian health experts have been pushing for the law to be changed, saying attempted suicide is a medical condition that needs health support rather than imprisonment.
Even though some legislators had kicked against the move to decriminalize attempted suicide. Parliament upon putting all the arguments into perspective, the majority of the members were of the firm conviction that attempted suicide should be treated as a mental health issue requiring assistance by law than to treat it as a criminal issue.
Data available shows that at least over 1,500 cases of suicide are reported in Ghana every year.
