Parliament decriminalises attempted suicide
Sections of the Criminal Offenses Act of 1960 that criminalized attempted suicide have been changed by Parliament.
Following the amendment passed on Tuesday, any person who attempts to commit suicide will be considered to have a mental health problem that requires legal aid.
Ghanaian health specialists have been campaigning for the law to be altered, claiming that attempted suicide is a medical problem that requires medical attention rather than incarceration.
However, several politicians were opposed to the initiative to decriminalize attempted suicide.
Haruna Iddrisu, the former Minority Leader, called suicide attempts as undesirable behavior that should be penalized and discouraged in 2019.
He argued that criminalizing suicide attempts will go a long way toward convincing Ghanaians, particularly the youth, that there is no benefit in killing oneself.
Every year, about 1,500 suicides are reported across the country.