131 suicides in four months

Negative life experiences, genetic make-up, mental and physical health, poor coping skills and a lack of resilience are some of the reasons being cited for 131 Namibians committing suicide between April and July this year. Namibia along with the rest of the world commemorated World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) on Monday 10 September.According to deputy health minister, Juliet Kavetuna, Namibia's suicide rate is the fourth highest on the continent after Mozambique, Tanzania and Burundi, and 11th in the world.“In Namibia, as elsewhere in the world, self-directed violence is a serious social, economic and public health concern and a challenge. The 2015 suicide rate in Namibia was 22.1 per 100 000 of the population, compared with 11.4 suicides per 100 000 population worldwide,” said Kavetuna. She added the causes of suicide in the country appear to be complex - a combination of negative life experiences, genetic make-up, mental and physical health, poor coping skills and a lack of resilience.As a result, the ministry contracted a scientist from the National Suicide Research Foundation in Ireland to assist it and other stakeholders to develop a strategic plan on suicidology for the country. According to Kavetuna, Erongo recorded 48 attempted suicides between January and April this year, followed by the Kavango Region with 38.She added Oshikoto recorded 25 attempted suicides and Ohangwena 23, while 19 people who attempted to kill themselves were treated at the Oshakati state hospital. The lowest number of attempted suicides were reported in Kunene, where only five people tried to kill themselves in the first quarter of the year, followed by Omaheke with seven and Hardap with nine cases. According to Kavetuna the ministry was prompted to conduct a national study on suicide prevalence and interventions in 2016.The report will be launched next month, and its findings will inform the development of the ministry's five-year national strategic plan on suicidology in Namibia. “The social wellbeing of all Namibians needs to prioritised. We need to take concerted actions towards the improvement of the living conditions of our people. As long as people are feeling helpless and hopeless, their psychosocial wellbeing will be compromised,” Kavetuna said.The ministry also intends to extend its awareness campaign to schools, churches and police roadblocks. It has also scheduled a breakfast meeting with King's Daughters, a welfare organisation that renders services to commercial sex workers.

131 suicides in four months

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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131 suicides in four months

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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