While Namibia continues to record staggering suicide figures, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) revealed that 2,937 suicide attempts were recorded between 2023 and 2024.
The Executive Director in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Gladice Pickering, described the figures as alarming and said urgent interventions were needed.
Speaking at the commemoration of World Mental Health Day and Suicide Prevention Month, Pickering said Namibia's suicide attempts are not just figures.
"1,665 attempts in 2018-19, 1,369 attempts in 2019-2020, 1,619 attempts in 2020-21, 1,772 attempts in 2021-22, 2,322 attempts in 2022-23, and a staggering 2,937 attempts in 2023-24, marking the highest record. Every attempt lies a person battling unbearable pain, and each attempt represents an opportunity for us as a nation to intervene, to offer hope, and to save a life."
Representing the Minister of Health, Deputy Executive Director Jeremiah Nghipangelwa called for coordinated action towards suicide prevention.
"We are sending a strong message that mental health matters and suicide is preventable. We will continue to work with Regional Health Directorates, communities and religious leaders, schools and the media to ensure our people know that help is available."
The platform also interrogated law enforcement officers and mental health.
"With the right training and retraining, police officers can recognise the signs of mental health crisis, de-escalate situations without force, and ensure that the affected individuals are referred promptly to appropriate mental health and psychosocial support services," remarked NamPol's Major General Anne-Marie Nainda.
Former Miss Namibia Cassia Sharpley emphasised the importance of promoting openness and empathy.
"We are here to change the story, to bring this critical conversation from the hidden corners into the centre of our national discourse, and to affirm with one voice that mental wellbeing is not a privilege for the few, but an inalienable right for all."
The commemoration concluded with a call for continued collaboration with all stakeholders to promote mental wellness and reduce the suicide rate.