Conference Abstract | Volume 9, Abstract 031 (ConfProc7) | Published: 04 May 2026
Nana Yaa Adobea Brown1,2,&, Ernest Konadu Asiedu3, Donne Kofi Ameme1,4, Rita Baafi5
1Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra, Ghana, 2Mental Health Authority, Accra, Ghana, 3Ministry of Health, Accra, Ghana, 4Africa Field Epidemiology Network, Accra, Ghana, 5Ghana Health Service, Korle Klottey Municipal Health Directorate, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Nana Yaa Adobea Brown; Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra, Ghana; Mental Health Authority, Accra, Ghana; Email: nana.brown@mha.gov.gh ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8703-0663
Received: 29 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 04 May 2026
Domain: Mental Health
Keywords: Suicide surveillance, Korle Klottey Municipality, CDC guidelines, Public health evaluation, Mental Health
©Nana Yaa Adobea Brown et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Nana Yaa Adobea Brown et al. Evaluation of the suicide surveillance system in Korle Klottey Municipality, Accra, Ghana, March–April 2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):031. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0031
Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death globally, with Ghana recording an estimated 6.6 deaths per 100,000 population annually. Until March 2023, attempted suicide was a criminal offence, limiting reporting. In line with WHO recommendations, Ghana integrated suicide indicators into the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS) to monitor and track trends. This evaluation assessed the performance of Korle Klottey Municipality’s suicide surveillance system to determine whether it meets its objectives, assess its attributes and usefulness towards suicide prevention.
From March 17 to April 25, 2025, a cross-sectional, mixed-methods approach was employed, guided by updated CDC evaluation guidelines. Quantitative data on suicide attempts and deaths (2020–2024) were extracted from DHIMS and compared with WHO estimates and research findings. Qualitative data were obtained through key informant interviews with health managers and mental health staff. Attributes assessed included simplicity, flexibility, data quality, acceptability, sensitivity, predictive value positive (PVP), representativeness, timeliness, stability, and usefulness.
The system is embedded within DHIMS, providing moderate simplicity and flexibility. Twenty-seven (27) suicide attempts were recorded between 2020 and 2024; no completed suicides were captured. PVP was high (100%) for reported events, and sensitivity was low, capturing <20% of expected cases. Acceptability improved to 100% after decriminalisation. Incomplete demographics hindered data quality in over 35% of records. Timeliness was adequate for monthly aggregation but lacked real-time alert mechanisms. Community event-based reporting was inactive, and stability was threatened by limited funding and human resource shortages.
Korle Klottey’s suicide surveillance system partially meets its objectives but suffers from low sensitivity, poor representativeness, and incomplete data. The MHA must ensure training to improve data quality, strengthen community reporting and introduce rapid alerts. The Government must provide dedicated funding to enhance the utility of the suicide surveillance system.
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