A nation in pain: Suicide crisis deepens, no one immune
• ‘Every suicide is the system failing. And our collective humanity’, minister warns
Nine suicides in three days. Three per day. Official figures reveal little or nothing about the person behind the heart-wrenching decision to end their life and banish the suffocating darkness once and for all.
Henriette LamprechtWINDHOEK
It spares no gender, no race, no age, and no class.
Whether it is someone whose home is a corrugated iron shack in an informal settlement, with little or no income and only an occasional proper meal, or someone with a beautiful home in an affluent suburb and a salary big enough for two vehicles in the garage.
Namibia has for several years topped the list of African countries with the highest suicide rate – 9.7 out of every 100 000 inhabitants taking their own lives. Globally, Namibia ranks fourth, but this statistic is already outdated, and it is likely that the current reality is far worse.
Between January and March this year, 124 people across the country reportedly died by suicide. Of these, 108 were men – a husband, a father, a son, a brother.
Most cases occurred in the central northern regions of the country, with 20, followed by Omusati with 17 and Kavango East with 14. Last year was no exception, and between January and May, 151 people decided that it was their only way out. Of those, 123 were men.
No one spared
In total, during the 2023–24 financial year, the country lost 542 people to suicide – 449 men, 80 women and 13 children.
Among the children were eight boys and five girls. Included in these statistics is a five-year-old, just beginning life, and a 103-year-old who chose to end a life of more than a century – something so few are granted.
Two years ago, between August 2022 and June 2023, 623 suicide cases were recorded – an average of one per day – rising to the current three per day, as the rate has steadily increased since 2020.
Crime reports focus on those whose attempts at suicide resulted in death, but there are also figures for those whose attempts were unsuccessful – if they were reported to police. In the same 2023–24 financial year, around 3 000 Namibians attempted to take their own lives.
There are no records of their gender or age, whether they received professional help, were admitted to a facility, or accessed counselling or medication. It is also unclear whether some made further attempts and eventually became part of the suicide statistics.
Sleepless nights for president, minister
Namibia’s president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has admitted that the crisis of suicide gives her sleepless nights and leaves her deeply concerned and saddened.
Health and social service minister Dr Esperance Luvindao has voiced her deep frustration and concern over ongoing delays in finalising the long-awaited mental health bill.
According to Luvindao, a staggering 102 900 mental health cases were recorded by the state in the 2024–25 financial year. These figures include only those who sought help at the state’s two mental health units at Oshakati and Windhoek Central Hospital.
The Oshakati unit has 80 beds but is often forced to accommodate up to 200 patients at a time. The ministry admits it takes in up to 90 patients daily. Its outpatient unit serves at least 100 patients each day, with only one psychiatrist responsible for all of them.
These two units provide mental healthcare for residents from four regions: Oshana, Oshikoto, Omusati and Ohangwena. The ministry acknowledges that the current number of specialised staff is woefully inadequate to meet demand.
While some services are also offered at district hospitals, they are neither community-based nor well integrated into primary healthcare.
System severely strained
Windhoek Central Hospital, the national referral centre for mental illness, officially has 124 beds. However, demand is so high that patients are often admitted for much shorter periods than medically necessary. Consequently, patients are frequently discharged earlier than recommended to make room for new admissions.
The forensic psychiatric services unit on the same premises has 84 beds, with an outpatient clinic operating only from Monday to Wednesday, serving a minimum of 45 patients.
Outreach clinics outside Windhoek run from Monday to Friday, with an average of 20 patients seen daily. There are no services on weekends. All these services at Central Hospital are staffed by just two psychiatrists, two psychologists and three medical officers.
Patients from outside the capital are meant to receive at least 72 hours of care at their nearest healthcare facility, according to ministerial protocol. If no improvement is seen, the doctor (if available) may refer the patient to a psychiatrist.
Once again, the ministry acknowledges shortcomings – this time in the referral system – stating that staff at district and clinic level often lack the necessary skills to manage or refer patients with mental health conditions.
Delays cost lives
Luvindao warned that the slow pace of implementing critical mental health reforms is, quite literally, costing lives.
According to official data from the ministry, there were 91 500 consultations in the 2024–25 financial year, with 11 400 patients admitted.
“Can it really take ten years to finalise a single bill?” Luvindao asked, emphasising that processes are meant to serve the people – not delay progress.
She cautioned that hosting workshops does not address the growing crisis; rather, legislation, funding, and treatment are urgently needed.
Legal and infrastructural frameworks intended to support mental healthcare for more than 85% of the population who rely on government are outdated or incomplete and gathering dust, “while our people are suffering and dying,” Luvindao said.
The minister, who admitted to having sought professional help for anxiety during her studies, stressed that burnout and depression are not part of anyone’s job description.
She pointed to the gap between political rhetoric and financial commitment, noting that it is one thing to say mental health matters but quite another to reflect that in the budget.
As an example, Luvindao referred to the construction of Windhoek District Hospital, which has no space allocated for counselling or emergency admissions related to mental health.
“The message”, says Luvindao, “is that we don’t care.”
“Every suicide is the system failing. And our collective humanity,” she said.
Nine people in three days. Three people a day – leaving behind devastated loved ones and unanswered questions.
[email protected]
It spares no gender, no race, no age, and no class.
Whether it is someone whose home is a corrugated iron shack in an informal settlement, with little or no income and only an occasional proper meal, or someone with a beautiful home in an affluent suburb and a salary big enough for two vehicles in the garage.
Namibia has for several years topped the list of African countries with the highest suicide rate – 9.7 out of every 100 000 inhabitants taking their own lives. Globally, Namibia ranks fourth, but this statistic is already outdated, and it is likely that the current reality is far worse.
Between January and March this year, 124 people across the country reportedly died by suicide. Of these, 108 were men – a husband, a father, a son, a brother.
Most cases occurred in the central northern regions of the country, with 20, followed by Omusati with 17 and Kavango East with 14. Last year was no exception, and between January and May, 151 people decided that it was their only way out. Of those, 123 were men.
No one spared
In total, during the 2023–24 financial year, the country lost 542 people to suicide – 449 men, 80 women and 13 children.
Among the children were eight boys and five girls. Included in these statistics is a five-year-old, just beginning life, and a 103-year-old who chose to end a life of more than a century – something so few are granted.
Two years ago, between August 2022 and June 2023, 623 suicide cases were recorded – an average of one per day – rising to the current three per day, as the rate has steadily increased since 2020.
Crime reports focus on those whose attempts at suicide resulted in death, but there are also figures for those whose attempts were unsuccessful – if they were reported to police. In the same 2023–24 financial year, around 3 000 Namibians attempted to take their own lives.
There are no records of their gender or age, whether they received professional help, were admitted to a facility, or accessed counselling or medication. It is also unclear whether some made further attempts and eventually became part of the suicide statistics.
Sleepless nights for president, minister
Namibia’s president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has admitted that the crisis of suicide gives her sleepless nights and leaves her deeply concerned and saddened.
Health and social service minister Dr Esperance Luvindao has voiced her deep frustration and concern over ongoing delays in finalising the long-awaited mental health bill.
According to Luvindao, a staggering 102 900 mental health cases were recorded by the state in the 2024–25 financial year. These figures include only those who sought help at the state’s two mental health units at Oshakati and Windhoek Central Hospital.
The Oshakati unit has 80 beds but is often forced to accommodate up to 200 patients at a time. The ministry admits it takes in up to 90 patients daily. Its outpatient unit serves at least 100 patients each day, with only one psychiatrist responsible for all of them.
These two units provide mental healthcare for residents from four regions: Oshana, Oshikoto, Omusati and Ohangwena. The ministry acknowledges that the current number of specialised staff is woefully inadequate to meet demand.
While some services are also offered at district hospitals, they are neither community-based nor well integrated into primary healthcare.
System severely strained
Windhoek Central Hospital, the national referral centre for mental illness, officially has 124 beds. However, demand is so high that patients are often admitted for much shorter periods than medically necessary. Consequently, patients are frequently discharged earlier than recommended to make room for new admissions.
The forensic psychiatric services unit on the same premises has 84 beds, with an outpatient clinic operating only from Monday to Wednesday, serving a minimum of 45 patients.
Outreach clinics outside Windhoek run from Monday to Friday, with an average of 20 patients seen daily. There are no services on weekends. All these services at Central Hospital are staffed by just two psychiatrists, two psychologists and three medical officers.
Patients from outside the capital are meant to receive at least 72 hours of care at their nearest healthcare facility, according to ministerial protocol. If no improvement is seen, the doctor (if available) may refer the patient to a psychiatrist.
Once again, the ministry acknowledges shortcomings – this time in the referral system – stating that staff at district and clinic level often lack the necessary skills to manage or refer patients with mental health conditions.
Delays cost lives
Luvindao warned that the slow pace of implementing critical mental health reforms is, quite literally, costing lives.
According to official data from the ministry, there were 91 500 consultations in the 2024–25 financial year, with 11 400 patients admitted.
“Can it really take ten years to finalise a single bill?” Luvindao asked, emphasising that processes are meant to serve the people – not delay progress.
She cautioned that hosting workshops does not address the growing crisis; rather, legislation, funding, and treatment are urgently needed.
Legal and infrastructural frameworks intended to support mental healthcare for more than 85% of the population who rely on government are outdated or incomplete and gathering dust, “while our people are suffering and dying,” Luvindao said.
The minister, who admitted to having sought professional help for anxiety during her studies, stressed that burnout and depression are not part of anyone’s job description.
She pointed to the gap between political rhetoric and financial commitment, noting that it is one thing to say mental health matters but quite another to reflect that in the budget.
As an example, Luvindao referred to the construction of Windhoek District Hospital, which has no space allocated for counselling or emergency admissions related to mental health.
“The message”, says Luvindao, “is that we don’t care.”
“Every suicide is the system failing. And our collective humanity,” she said.
Nine people in three days. Three people a day – leaving behind devastated loved ones and unanswered questions.
[email protected]
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