Namibia faces rising suicide rates, study urges urgent mental health action

A study by the David Namwandi Trust (DNT) has described suicide in Namibia as a painful public health and social challenge.

The study, titled ‘An Inquiry into the Alarming Rate of Suicide and Suicidal Ideation in Our Country’, was launched in Windhoek on Monday.

It found that in the 2023/24 financial year, 542 people took their lives.

Meanwhile, statistics by the Namibian Police reveal that 124 people took their lives between January and March this year, with 108 of these being men.

Former minister of education and DNT founder David Namwandi on Monday said this trend can be reversed.

“We want to be at par with Barbados, Antiqua and Barbuda and even lower in terms of suicide rates, i.e. 0.3 suicides per 100 000,” he said.

He said suicide can be prevented if people work together to prioritise emotional well-being and fortify mental resilience across all segments of society.

“This is not the work of one organisation, it requires concerted efforts from all of us. Each one of us. We must prevent suicide deaths by all means,” Namwandi said.

He said the DNT commissioned a team of researchers to carry out an inquiry into the alarming rate of suicide and suicidal ideation in Namibia.

The study was conducted to transform and enable social development within the nation to help prevent what Namwandi described as a ‘cruel enemy’.

He said the alarming rates of suicide in Namibia are not just a public health crisis, but a signal of broader struggles within societies.

He encouraged the reinforcement of early detection and support mechanisms, with particular emphasis on men and the boy child, who remain disproportionately affected by suicide. Namwandi commended the research team for uncovering the causes, risk factors, mechanisms in place and potential interventions to guide the nation towards a meaningful intervention.

“These findings form the basis for understanding the complexity of the factors contributing to suicide ideation as the first step towards prevention,” he said.

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