The Guyana government is to table legislation on Thursday as part of the efforts to prevent cases of suicide in the country.
Guyana, the Government will present a Bill to Guyana’s National Assembly to address preventative measures to combat suicide and mental health awareness.
“This is a Bill that we have been working on for some time and it encompasses things that we can do to prevent suicides from happening,” said Guyana’s Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony.
“And the Bill also provides for the repeal of the section of the law that criminalises persons who attempt suicide. This has been something that people have been advocating for a long time to remove that section of the law and this Bill, once we pass it will repeal that section,” he added.
Guyana has one of the highest rates of suicide worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) figures claim 44.2 in every 100,000 Guyanese take their own lives, compared to a global average of 16.
The Health Minister admitted that suicide remains a haunting issue in Guyana despite the many efforts to address the issue over the years.
