Assisted suicide: Ethical considerations and the South African debate

Authors

  • A Van Eeden Chief Executive Officer, Doctors for Life International
  • S Nemutandani President, HPCSA; president, Association of Medical Councils of Africa
  • M Meiring Course convenor, PG Dip Pal Med (Paeds), University of Cape Town; chief executive officer, Paedspal (paediatric palliative care non- governmental organisation); chair: PATCH-SA: South African Children’s Palliative Care Network
  • L B Honey Clinical educator manager: Clinical Integrated Programs, School of Medicine, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, and Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa
  • H (WJ) Steinberg Associate professor/principal family practitioner, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • T Hardcastle Head of Clinical Department, Trauma and Burns, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital; KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health; Honorary Research Associate Professor in Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology; Honorary Associate Professor of Trauma and Surgery, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • M Bac Extraordinary lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • J V Larsen Retired community obstetrician and gynaecologist, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • K Michael Chairman, Christian Fellowship South Africa
  • M Louw Senior lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria and family physician, Tshwane District Health Services, South Africa
  • W Sieling

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2024.v114i6.2246

Keywords:

assisted suicide

Abstract

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References

DignitySA. Our goals for 2024. DignitySA, 2024. https://www.dignitysouthafrica.org/goals-for-2024 (accessed 29 April 2024).

Donkin A. Is promoting euthanasia or assisted suicide really a good idea? S Afr Fam Pract 2024;66(1):a5948. https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v66i1.5948

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Mnyandu N. Exploring the concept of Ubuntu in relation to dying with dignity in palliative and

hospice care. Obiter 2018;39(2). https://doi.org/10.10520/EJC-120d09205d

Pereira J. Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide: The illusion of safeguards and controls. Curr Oncol

;18(2):38-45. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.v18i2.883

World Medical Association. WMA Declaration on Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide.

Adopted by the 70th WMA General Assembly, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2019. bit.ly/2JSdKut (accessed

April 2024).

UK Parliament. Memorandum by the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group. UK Parliament,

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200405/ldselect/ldasdy/86/86we26.htm (accessed 29

April 2024).

South Africa. Basic Conditions of Employment Act No. 75 of 1997. https://www.gov.za/sites/default/

files/gcis_document/201409/a105-97.pdf (accessed 29 April 2024).

Girma S, Paton D. Is assisted suicide a substitute for unassisted suicide? Eur Econom Rev2022;104113.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2022.104113

Hartling O. Euthanasia and assisted dying: The illusion of autonomy. BMJ 2021;374:n2135. https://

doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n2135

Zylicz B. Palliative care and euthanasia in the Netherlands: Observations of a Dutch physician. In: Foley KM, Hendin H, eds. The Case Against Assisted Suicide: For the Right to End-of-Life Care. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.

World Health Organization. Palliative care. Geneva: WHO, 2024. https://www.who.int/health-topics/ palliative-care (accessed 29 April 2024).

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Published

2024-05-31

Issue

SAMJ Vol. 114 no. 6

Section

Correspondence

License

Copyright (c) 2024 A Van Eeden, S Nemutandani, M Meiring, L B Honey, H (WJ) Steinberg, T Hardcastle, M Bac, J V Larsen, K Michael, M Louw, W Sieling

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How to Cite

1.
Van Eeden A, Nemutandani S, Meiring M, Honey LB, Steinberg H (WJ), Hardcastle T, et al. Assisted suicide: Ethical considerations and the South African debate. S Afr Med J [Internet]. 2024 May 31 [cited 2025 Oct. 12];114(6):e2246. Available from: https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/view/2246