By Samira Larbie
Accra, Sept. 15, GNA – Ghana may be capturing less than 10 per cent of estimated suicide deaths, Dr Kwadwo Marfo Obeng, Medical Director of Accra Psychiatric Hospital, has said.
He said about 90 suicide deaths were recorded through the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS), equivalent to 0.29 deaths per 100,000 population, against an estimated national rate of 8.5 per 100,000.
Dr Obeng made the observation at the launch of the National Suicide Situational Report, Media Reporting Guidelines and Scorecard for Ghana in Accra to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day.
He said the disparity reflected significant gaps in suicide mortality reporting and limited the country’s ability to accurately determine the scale and distribution of suicide and suicidal behaviour.
Ghana has several sources of suicide mortality data, including DHIMS, the Births and Deaths Registry, the Police and research institutions, but the systems remain fragmented.
“ If we are picking up such a small, less than 10 per cent of the expected suicide deaths in our health information system, is it just that people are being more efficient up north and this is just a figure that’s closer to the actual number, or it actually reflects an increase in suicide deaths in the north? We need to figure that out,” he said.
Dr Marfo Obeng attributed the under-reporting partly to stigma surrounding suicide and its criminalisation in Ghana until 2023.
He said some deaths occurring in homes and communities were not reported to health facilities or the Police before burial, while some deaths reaching hospitals were recorded under immediate physical causes such as trauma or severe blood loss.
“This information doesn’t make it into the DHIMS because it was never recorded in the hospital records,” he said.
Dr Obeng said the lack of a formal mechanism for transferring certificates of cause of death from health facilities to the Births and Deaths Registry also created gaps in national data.
He said the decriminalisation of suicide in 2023 appeared to have improved reporting in some systems.
“The change in the law in itself is not enough to make a sustained change in behaviour. We need to keep on at it,” he said.
DHIMS records increased from about 90 suicide deaths in 2022/23 to 134 after the law changed, before falling again to about 90 in 2025, while the Births and Deaths Registry recorded a 276 per cent increase between 2023 and 2024.
The analysis showed that people aged 35 to 60 years accounted for about 51 per cent of recorded suicide deaths, with males accounting for significantly more deaths than females.
Dr Obeng said key risk factors included mental health disorders, previous suicide attempts, anxiety, hopelessness, impulsivity, chronic physical illnesses, interpersonal conflict, trauma, abuse, bullying, bereavement, academic pressure, relationship difficulties, financial stress and unemployment.
He said agricultural-related risks also required attention, particularly in northern Ghana.
The report identified social support, religious communities and seeking professional help as protective factors against suicidal behaviour.
Dr Obeng called for improved access to mental health services, responsible media reporting and stronger collaboration among families, communities, schools, workplaces, health professionals and other stakeholders.
He said the situational analysis would provide evidence for developing a national suicide prevention strategy and support advocacy and resource mobilisation.
“Every suicide is a tragedy that has profound social, emotional and economic consequences for families, friends and workplaces,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Samira Larbie