Uganda: Poverty Forcing IDPs to Commit Suicide

from All Africa

The Monitor (Kampala)

Jane Nafula
Kampala

AS acute levels of poverty rip through the countryside, residents of the war-ravaged northern Uganda are responding to the tragedy by committing suicide, a survey released on January 17 shows.

The survey was conducted in disadvantaged districts of Uganda between 2004 and 2006.

It was done by Emilio Ovuga, a professor of Psychiatry and Dr Eugene Kinyanda, a consultant psychiatric at Butabika

The districts covered were Mubende, Bugiri, Kapchorwa, Katakwi, Kaberamaido, Adjumani, Apac, Arua, Moyo, Nebbi, Lira Yumbe and Bushenyi.

Addressing participants during a suicide prevention workshop at Butabika on January 17, Prof. Ovuga said between 2004 and 2006, a total of 403 people committed suicide while 1,079 attempted to commit suicide in Dzaipi sub-county, Adjumani district.

He said the majority of the victims were internally displaced persons living in appalling conditions.

"IDPs depend on handouts but are sometimes forced to fend for their families. Those who cannot cater for the huge families at times kill themselves due to anxiety and depression caused by poverty," Prof. Ovuga said. He said many of the victims are men and that they usually commit the offence on Mondays and in the month of March when food is scarce.

"Most victims are men because men hardly express their distress, which is not the case with women," he said.

Presenting the study findings, Dr Kinyanda said 113 who committed suicide were from Katakwi, 96 from Kaberamaido, 70 from Adjumani, 27 Apac, 77 Arua, 35 Lira, 66 Moyo, 45 Nebbi , 11 Yumbe and 35 from Bushenyi.

He said majority of people who committed suicide were single. Unemployment, loneliness, and unsteady relationships, poverty, domestic violence, sexual abuse, drug abuse, emotional abuse, unemployment and teenage pregnancy were some of the factors responsible for high suicide cases.

He said the predominant method of attempted suicide and suicide in both urban and rural areas is poisoning.

Others are hanging, drug overdose, drowning, gunshot, intoxication and cutting throats, among others.