Suicide in the Spotlight at Webinar

Suicide in the Spotlight at Webinar

The Decriminalisation of Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Africa: Implications for Prevention, Human Rights and Dignity was the title of a webinar hosted by UKZN in partnership with the World Federation for Mental Health (WMFH) to commemorate Africa Regional World Mental Health Day.

The webinar was geared to examine policy, practice and legal responses to suicide prevention and advocate for the decriminalisation of suicide and suicide attempts in African countries.

UKZN Social Work academic and Regional Vice-President Africa for the WMFH Professor Johannes John-Langba facilitated the webinar which featured an impressive panel of representatives from around the world including: Dr Nasser Loza, President of the WMFH (Egypt); Dr Ingrid Daniels, Chief Executive Officer of Cape Mental Health (South Africa); Dr Sanele Gamede, lecturer at the University of Johannesburg; Dr Carol Labor, Special Adviser on Mental Health for the Ministry of Health (Sierra Leone); Ms Morufat Alabi, Mental Health Nurse (Nigeria); Mr Gabriel Lungu, Mental Health Officer at the Ministry of Health (Zambia); Professor Joseph Osafo, Acting Director for the Centre for Ageing Studies (Ghana); Mr Jude Poku, Education Consultant at Techno Tutor (USA); Dr Angeline Stephens, Psychologist and Manager of UKZN’s Student Support Services; and Professor Gabriel Ivbijaro, the Secretary General of the WMFH (UK).

In her welcome address, Executive Director of UKZN’s Corporate Relations Division Ms Normah Zondo said the webinar was taking place at a time when there was a greater emphasis on mental health around the world, in particular Africa which lagged behind. ‘It’s a sad reality that in certain sectors of our community, mental health issues remain taboo and are frequently associated with superstitious practices such as witchcraft.

Said Zondo: ‘As UKZN, we recognise our obligation to contribute to and lead discussions about development on our continent and are delighted to host such dialogues aimed at finding African solutions to African problems which is consistent with our objective to be the Premier University of African Scholarship.’

Calling on societies, communities and policy makers to have more compassion for those who are suicidal and the families left behind, Loza acknowledged the WMFH’s 75-year anniversary and the theme for World Mental Health Day – Mental Health is a Universal Human Right.

Against a backdrop of suicide being the fourth leading cause of death for 15-29-year-olds, globally in 2019 and 23 countries around the world – the majority of which are African – still criminalising suicide and suicide attempts, John-Langba said: ‘There is a plethora of evidence that points to the fact that the criminalisation of suicide matches a culture that fosters blame towards an individual who attempts suicide and deters them from seeking timely professional help due to the stigma, fear and legal repercussions attached to it.’

He noted how suicide was not a mental health condition but those with mental health issues maybe at greater risk as an act linked to social, economic, cultural and psychological factors which are complex and intersecting.

Daniels, who referred to 77% of global suicides occurring in lower-middle income countries, said mental health was on the rise globally, especially in Africa. Urging policy makers to ensure mental health is a priority she said prevention measures were needed to restore human rights and dignity for all.

Gamede, who runs an anti-suicide campaign that assists high school learners facing academic challenges, shared his insights on the steady incline of suicide among the youth; while Labor who noted the importance of decriminalising suicide and suicide attempts as well as developing prevention methods in a country that still practices the criminalisation of these acts, acknowledged the political will of Sierra Leone to have these policies amended.

Reviewing suicide within the Higher Education context, Stephens appealed to individuals and communities to start changing their language surrounding the topic, to go against toxic masculinity, as men are more at risk, and to explore the history of violence on the continent in dealing with mental health.

Having been part of the cohort that decriminalised suicide and suicide attempts in Ghana, achieved in March 2023, Osafo gave an in-depth account of the processes used to disbound this policy which was a colonial legacy inherited in 1960. He also highlighted some of their collaborations with other African countries in creating awareness and developing suicide preventions programmes.

Poku reflected on his struggle with mental health and suicide ideations.

Alabi noted the three phases of prevention namely, primary which involves intervention; secondary which uses screening methods; and tertiary which focuses on prevention; and Lungu focused on the legal and cultural impressions of suicide and suicide attempts in Zambia.

In his closing remarks Ivbijaro implored for the language around suicide to change and thanked all those that were advocating for mental health, ‘there’s still a lot to do and together we can make a huge difference,’ he said.

To watch the Africa Regional World Mental Health Day webinar, click here.

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Image: Supplied