Editorial
…of suicide and suicide attempts
Dear Editor,
I would be glad, if you could give me a moment to talk about suicide. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the country. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in the world.
When a person dies by suicide, the effect is felt by family, friends and the community. Suicide is when people harm themselves with the aim of ending their lives and die in the process.
News of a middle-aged man jumping from the Tamale flyover in an apparent suicide attempt on Monday, August, 29, 2022, gives credence to the need to take mental health and matters of suicide seriously. A similar incident occurred on the Graphic Road in March 2018 when a young man believed to be in his 20s fell from 40 feet to his death from the overpass linking the area to Kaneshie.
Persons of all ages can be at risk of suicide. The main risk factors are; depression, chronic pain, having been released from prison, financial difficulties, relationship troubles among others.
To stop suicide and suicide attempts, there are various steps that can be taken on individual basis and these include promoting socio-emotional life skills in teenagers, restrict access to suicide-related tools like firearms and pesticides.
Jennifer Yayra Opare,
University for Development Studies,
Nyankpala Campus.
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
