Guyana’s suicide epidemic has hit the family of President Ramotar with the death of his 16-year old niece who took her life last week on the West Demerara.
Roma Ramotar was the President’s brother’s daughter who lived with her mother in a humble home in Cornelia Ida. She was a 5th form student at Stewartville secondary school and was said to be having relationship issues at the time. She was buried at the Uitvlugt pasture burial ground on Sunday and the President who was in attendance was seen to be deeply affected.
Guyana has one of the world’s highest suicide rates with a survey showing that in 2012 it had the highest with 44.2 suicides per 100,000 persons, or about 333 plus suicides per year. It is the leading cause of death in young people between the ages of 15-24.