745 suicides in 18 months

Maria Kandjungu





WINDHOEK

At least 745 people in Namibia committed suicide between January 2020 and June 2021, while 1 172 people attempted or thought of taking their own lives within that same period.

Of those who committed suicide, 609 – a whopping 82% - are men, while 35 are children under the age of 18.

This according to statistics availed to Nampa by the health ministry in collaboration with the Namibian Police.

The Omusati Region had the highest number of suicides at 111, followed by Ohangwena and Khomas with 99 cases each and with Otjozondjupa reporting 86 cases.

According to the report, most people committed suicide by hanging and shooting, while others drank battery water, drowned themselves, cut their own throats, stabbed, poisoned or set themselves on fire.

Suicide prevention

Khomas chief social worker Tuhafeni Talia told Nampa this week that her team, in partnership with several stakeholders, will launch a suicide prevention programme on 10 September, which marks World Suicide Prevention Day.

She said the programme, which will later be extended to other regions, aims to create awareness and address the high rate of suicidal behaviour in the country.

The Khomas Suicide Prevention Taskforce has already been formed to create awareness, and provide information on interventions on the prevention of suicidal behaviours, with the aim of striving towards zero suicides in the region.

Talia said, commonly, a person who dies by suicide has previously attempted to do so, adding that this means that someone who has attempted suicide will most likely try to do it again.

“Suicide is 100% preventable and we want to create hope through action by giving indications to people who experience suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that we care and want to support them,” she said, noting that creating hope through action focuses on the importance of taking actions - whether big or small - to help people who are suffering.

According to Talia, despite a high number of deaths by suicide in Namibia, the topic is not discussed enough as suicide continues to be regarded as a taboo in many communities.

We need to talk about it

“Suicide is a problem but we are not talking about it. We need to educate the community. I did a study on suicide where I interviewed 20 people in Ohangwena who have attempted suicide and some said they tried to commit suicide because all they see is darkness. Many are saying they do not really want to die but they feel unending pain.”

She said there is a need for the research sector to promote the study of suicide and suicide attempts because the field of suicide is under-researched in Namibia.

“We need suicidologists, if any, to guide us on the prevention of suicide. Our dream is to see the problem of suicidal behaviours being discussed in Namibian Parliament one day.”

Talia said signs and symptoms of suicide differ from person to person, but some of the common ones include someone appearing depressed or sad most of the time, feeling hopeless, expressing hopelessness, withdrawing or isolating from family and friends, mood swings, talking about death, writing suicide notes or goodbye letters, abusing alcohol or drugs, hurting or cutting themselves, reckless behaviour, loss of interest in most activities and tiredness.