Who We Are & What We Do

A pivotal event in the journey to the formation of GASP was the “Legon Forum” [a key stakeholder forum named after Legon, a suburb of Accra – the capital of Ghana] which was held on the Legon Campus of the University of Ghana in 2017. The Legon Forum was the first ever national key stakeholder forum held with a focus on “Suicide Prevention in Ghana”. The forum was organized by the Centre for Suicide and Violence Research (CSVR) in Accra. The forum brought together participants from various backgrounds, including persons with lived and living experience of self-harm and suicide, mental and medical health professionals, social care professionals, academics, researchers, teachers, other school staff, police officers, military officers, media practitioners, lawyers, students and other young people, traditional leaders, religious leaders, civil society groups and other leading 3rd sector organizations in the mental health advocacy space within Ghana. These individuals, groups, and organizations were generally concerned about the spate of suicide issues in the country at the time and were dissatisfied and unhappy with the non-existence of any concerted and coordinated efforts at self-harm and suicide prevention in Ghana. They were interested in the formation of an overarching multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral association that could bring together and coordinate the efforts and activities of individuals, groups, and organizations towards suicide prevention in Ghana. Driven by this shared interest, GASP was unanimously formed at the Legon Forum held on March 30, 2017.

GASP is an incorporated non-governmental organization registered in Ghana and headquartered in Accra, the capital. GASP is the overarching non-governmental, non-religious, non-political, non-ethnic, and non-tribal body that brings together and coordinates the efforts and activities of individuals, groups, and organizations toward suicide prevention in Ghana. GASP is dedicated to and concerned with preventing suicide and suicidal behavior primarily in Ghana, alleviating the effects of suicide, and providing a forum for academicians, mental health professionals, crisis workers, pastoral care workers, volunteers, and suicide survivors in Ghana and its (sub-Saharan) African context. GASP is also concerned with mental health and suicide prevention services, and the services are available to members of the community regardless of their religious or political views and affiliations. The services are in themselves non-tribal and non-partisan. GASP is organized exclusively for interventive, preventive, charitable, educational, and scientific purposes.