Suicide prevention tops political parties’ agendas
82% of victims are men
Political parties have highlighted how - if voted into power - they will prioritise mental health.
Not a single day goes by in Namibia without a report of a death by suicide. And the vast majority - about 82% - of victims are men, recent statistics provided by the Namibian Police show.
The worrying trend has caught the attention of some political parties - specifically the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) - who spoke to Namibian Sun and highlighted suicide prevention policies and strategies they plan to implement as their top priority if voted into power.
According to LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa, suicide is a major concern, especially given the social issues plaguing the country.
He said the party highlighted in its manifesto the importance of thrusting mental health professionals to the forefront of collective consciousness, building multiple mental health institutions and promoting the inclusion of psychologists in clinics.
“Additionally, as a party, we understand that health professionals have linked the increasing suicide rate with unemployment, poverty and the destructive coping mechanisms utilised by our people, and believe these matters should be addressed in order to curb this increasing rate [of suicide],” he said.
Simataa added that as the government in power, LPM would pay attention to issues such as the high levels of alcohol consumption and the high rate of school dropouts. “As of the last three years, the rate has been between 18.5% to 21.4% of learners [who] completed high school, leaving over 78% of learners without school-leaving qualifications, which could also be a figure that ties into the increasing suicide rate. LPM believes that research into our social issues is pivotal. We need to understand the nature of suicide in Namibia to best address this,” he said.
Feeling alone
According to PDM spokesperson Geoffrey Mwilima, a number of people who take their own lives are grieving the death of loved ones.
“Some people have lost both parents and feel alone in this world. One can get into thinking it’s better if they follow their parents. Especially young people. The elderly, when their siblings are all gone, also tend to feel lonely and choose the suicide way out,” he said.
Another contributing factor he believes is causing the high suicide rate in the country is stress after some have failed tertiary education and feel hopeless.
“Jobs require people with skills and they do not meet the demand for the job market. People get discouraged and resort to suicide. [Then there’s also] LGBTQ discrimination, with some families refusing to accept individuals and they think [being gay is] a curse, [which] can lead to one ending their life,” Mwilima said, adding that relationship problems have also of late also contributed to suicide cases in the country.
PDM will look into education, incorporating mental health into school curriculums to teach people how to handle social issues and equip them with the knowledge on how they can flourish amid life’s challenges, he said.
Mwilima further noted that tailor-made programmes will also teach those who have physical or mental disorders how to live with their conditions. “We will look into the social worker population ratio and address that gap. The limited social workers delay attending to individuals and by the time they have time to get there, the person has died by suicide. People with issues can be counselled and convinced that it will get better and whatever they are going through shall pass too.”
Complex issue
IPC spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge said suicide is a concern for not only their political party, but for the entire nation.
While the issue is a complex one, he believes it is possible to tackle and reduce the rate of suicide.
In its manifesto, IPC said it plans to establish 500 mobile healthcare clinics. According to the spokesperson, some people have been diagnosed with chronic conditions such as HIV-AIDS, and due to the lack of understanding of lifelong treatment, they lose hope and resort to suicide.
“Some are romance-related issues of disagreements. In our view as IPC, which is also in our manifesto, [it is critical] to priotise mental health within existing clinics and at the workplace. [It’s important] to integrate mental health services within primary healthcare,” he said, adding that once these services exist, people will open up about their problems.
Nashinge said, if voted into power, IPC will train and deploy 1 000 community mental health workers across the 14 regions and establish rehabilitation centres for substance abuse in every region.
Other parties
In its manifesto, the ruling party Swapo said it has increased healthcare facilities from 272 in 1990 to 530 in 2023.
Swanu leader Evilastus Kaaronda said the party will build two more hospitals to reduce the burden on Katutura Intermediate Hospital in Windhoek.
The National Empowerment Fighting Corruption (NEFC) party said it will establish new healthcare facilities in rural communities, and upgrade worn out public hospitals.
Body of Christ Party (BCP) president Festus Thomas vowed that the party would prioritise childhood developmental and cognitive health, and build strong support systems for individuals.
The worrying trend has caught the attention of some political parties - specifically the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) - who spoke to Namibian Sun and highlighted suicide prevention policies and strategies they plan to implement as their top priority if voted into power.
According to LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa, suicide is a major concern, especially given the social issues plaguing the country.
He said the party highlighted in its manifesto the importance of thrusting mental health professionals to the forefront of collective consciousness, building multiple mental health institutions and promoting the inclusion of psychologists in clinics.
“Additionally, as a party, we understand that health professionals have linked the increasing suicide rate with unemployment, poverty and the destructive coping mechanisms utilised by our people, and believe these matters should be addressed in order to curb this increasing rate [of suicide],” he said.
Simataa added that as the government in power, LPM would pay attention to issues such as the high levels of alcohol consumption and the high rate of school dropouts. “As of the last three years, the rate has been between 18.5% to 21.4% of learners [who] completed high school, leaving over 78% of learners without school-leaving qualifications, which could also be a figure that ties into the increasing suicide rate. LPM believes that research into our social issues is pivotal. We need to understand the nature of suicide in Namibia to best address this,” he said.
Feeling alone
According to PDM spokesperson Geoffrey Mwilima, a number of people who take their own lives are grieving the death of loved ones.
“Some people have lost both parents and feel alone in this world. One can get into thinking it’s better if they follow their parents. Especially young people. The elderly, when their siblings are all gone, also tend to feel lonely and choose the suicide way out,” he said.
Another contributing factor he believes is causing the high suicide rate in the country is stress after some have failed tertiary education and feel hopeless.
“Jobs require people with skills and they do not meet the demand for the job market. People get discouraged and resort to suicide. [Then there’s also] LGBTQ discrimination, with some families refusing to accept individuals and they think [being gay is] a curse, [which] can lead to one ending their life,” Mwilima said, adding that relationship problems have also of late also contributed to suicide cases in the country.
PDM will look into education, incorporating mental health into school curriculums to teach people how to handle social issues and equip them with the knowledge on how they can flourish amid life’s challenges, he said.
Mwilima further noted that tailor-made programmes will also teach those who have physical or mental disorders how to live with their conditions. “We will look into the social worker population ratio and address that gap. The limited social workers delay attending to individuals and by the time they have time to get there, the person has died by suicide. People with issues can be counselled and convinced that it will get better and whatever they are going through shall pass too.”
Complex issue
IPC spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge said suicide is a concern for not only their political party, but for the entire nation.
While the issue is a complex one, he believes it is possible to tackle and reduce the rate of suicide.
In its manifesto, IPC said it plans to establish 500 mobile healthcare clinics. According to the spokesperson, some people have been diagnosed with chronic conditions such as HIV-AIDS, and due to the lack of understanding of lifelong treatment, they lose hope and resort to suicide.
“Some are romance-related issues of disagreements. In our view as IPC, which is also in our manifesto, [it is critical] to priotise mental health within existing clinics and at the workplace. [It’s important] to integrate mental health services within primary healthcare,” he said, adding that once these services exist, people will open up about their problems.
Nashinge said, if voted into power, IPC will train and deploy 1 000 community mental health workers across the 14 regions and establish rehabilitation centres for substance abuse in every region.
Other parties
In its manifesto, the ruling party Swapo said it has increased healthcare facilities from 272 in 1990 to 530 in 2023.
Swanu leader Evilastus Kaaronda said the party will build two more hospitals to reduce the burden on Katutura Intermediate Hospital in Windhoek.
The National Empowerment Fighting Corruption (NEFC) party said it will establish new healthcare facilities in rural communities, and upgrade worn out public hospitals.
Body of Christ Party (BCP) president Festus Thomas vowed that the party would prioritise childhood developmental and cognitive health, and build strong support systems for individuals.
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