Namibia's mental health state - 102 900 patients in 2024/25
Health minister Luvindao says we cannot workshop our way out of a crisis but must legislate, build, fund, and treat.
Health minister Esperance Luvindao has criticised the country’s slow pace in enacting mental health reforms.
Speaking at a mental health awareness symposium in Windhoek yesterday, Luvindao said Namibia’s mental health data tells a troubling story: more than 91 500 outpatient mental health consultations and 11 400 inpatient admissions were recorded in the 2024–2025 financial year.
Luvindao called out the years-long delay in finalising the Mental Health Bill and warned that legislative stagnation is costing lives.
She asked: “Can it take 10 years to finalise one bill?”
She added: “Processes must serve the people—not delay progress. We are not waiting another decade to do what should have been done yesterday.”
In a strict address that combined policy critique with personal honesty, Luvindao made it clear that the time for platitudes is over.
“We cannot workshop our way out of a crisis,” she said. “We must legislate, build, fund, and treat.”
Mental health crisis worsens
Yet, she noted, the infrastructure and legal frameworks meant to support these patients remain outdated or unfinished.
“We have people suffering and dying while policies gather dust,” she said. “If we want different outcomes, we need different approaches—and that starts with urgency.”
Drawing from her own experience, Luvindao underscored that mental health challenges are not limited to the public.
“During medical school, I developed a bit of an anxiety problem,” she revealed. “I went through counselling. I got help—and I talk about it now because we need to normalise it.”
She warned against the silent suffering of health professionals. “We expect our nurses and doctors to cope simply because they signed up for the job. But burnout and depression are not part of the job description.”
Budget and infrastructure reform
Luvindao argued that financial commitment must match political rhetoric.
“It is one thing to say mental health matters. It’s another to show it in the budget. We need more funding. No more excuses.”
She highlighted current hospital construction projects, such as the Windhoek District Hospital and criticised the lack of built-in mental health infrastructure.
“It makes no sense to build a hospital without even a few holding or counselling rooms. That omission sends a message—we don’t care. That needs to change.”
She vowed to ensure the implementation of infrastructure and resources for patients with mental illness throughout her tenure.
Deadly Consequences of Inaction
Namibia’s high suicide rates were also central to her remarks, with 542 suicide deaths in the last year. Luvindao said it is unacceptable to treat these statistics as routine.
“Every suicide is a failure of the system—and our collective humanity. I am not a mental health expert,” she said plainly.
Luvindao said she is committed to leading in consultation with those who are.
"I am the driver, not the GPS. The psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses—they are the GPSes,” she said.
She affirmed that the Mental Health Bill will be finalised within this financial year, with a benchmarking visit to Zimbabwe scheduled for July 2025 to help shape the legislation.
Speaking at a mental health awareness symposium in Windhoek yesterday, Luvindao said Namibia’s mental health data tells a troubling story: more than 91 500 outpatient mental health consultations and 11 400 inpatient admissions were recorded in the 2024–2025 financial year.
Luvindao called out the years-long delay in finalising the Mental Health Bill and warned that legislative stagnation is costing lives.
She asked: “Can it take 10 years to finalise one bill?”
She added: “Processes must serve the people—not delay progress. We are not waiting another decade to do what should have been done yesterday.”
In a strict address that combined policy critique with personal honesty, Luvindao made it clear that the time for platitudes is over.
“We cannot workshop our way out of a crisis,” she said. “We must legislate, build, fund, and treat.”
Mental health crisis worsens
Yet, she noted, the infrastructure and legal frameworks meant to support these patients remain outdated or unfinished.
“We have people suffering and dying while policies gather dust,” she said. “If we want different outcomes, we need different approaches—and that starts with urgency.”
Drawing from her own experience, Luvindao underscored that mental health challenges are not limited to the public.
“During medical school, I developed a bit of an anxiety problem,” she revealed. “I went through counselling. I got help—and I talk about it now because we need to normalise it.”
She warned against the silent suffering of health professionals. “We expect our nurses and doctors to cope simply because they signed up for the job. But burnout and depression are not part of the job description.”
Budget and infrastructure reform
Luvindao argued that financial commitment must match political rhetoric.
“It is one thing to say mental health matters. It’s another to show it in the budget. We need more funding. No more excuses.”
She highlighted current hospital construction projects, such as the Windhoek District Hospital and criticised the lack of built-in mental health infrastructure.
“It makes no sense to build a hospital without even a few holding or counselling rooms. That omission sends a message—we don’t care. That needs to change.”
She vowed to ensure the implementation of infrastructure and resources for patients with mental illness throughout her tenure.
Deadly Consequences of Inaction
Namibia’s high suicide rates were also central to her remarks, with 542 suicide deaths in the last year. Luvindao said it is unacceptable to treat these statistics as routine.
“Every suicide is a failure of the system—and our collective humanity. I am not a mental health expert,” she said plainly.
Luvindao said she is committed to leading in consultation with those who are.
"I am the driver, not the GPS. The psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses—they are the GPSes,” she said.
She affirmed that the Mental Health Bill will be finalised within this financial year, with a benchmarking visit to Zimbabwe scheduled for July 2025 to help shape the legislation.
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