Africa-Press – Namibia. More than 91 000 people in Namibia sought mental health treatment at public health facilities in the past financial year.
This was announced by minister of health and social services Esperance Luvindao on Friday during the commemoration of World Mental Health Day and Suicide Prevention Month at the UN Plaza at Katutura.
Luvindao said 91 544 patients visited outpatient departments for mental health services during the 2024/25 financial year, while 11 489 were admitted to hospitals across the country.
“We must address this situation by mainstreaming mental health into disaster preparedness and ensuring that every emergency relief package includes psychosocial support,” she said.
Luvindao said the high numbers show an urgent need to strengthen mental health services, especially during crises such as droughts, floods, disease outbreaks and road accidents.
She stressed that mental health is a human right, not a privilege, and called on communities to help eliminate stigma.
“Mental health care should be universal, dignified and free from discrimination,” she added.
Present at the event, prime minister Elijah Ngurare described the country’s suicide situation as a national tragedy and added that Namibia has recorded some of the highest suicide rates in Africa.
“The fact that Namibia ranks number one in Africa with respect to suicide rates is a national tragedy that we cannot ignore,” he said.
Ngurare said suicide deaths have fluctuated between 441 and 564 annually over the past seven years, with 542 cases reported in the 2023/24 financialy ear. Attempted suicides have also surged to 2 937 in the same period, making it the highest on record.
He said the government has introduced a mental health bill to replace the outdated 1973 act, aligning Namibia with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensuring that no Namibian is left behind.
World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Juliet Nabyonga says Africa has the highest suicide rate globally, at 11.2 per 100 000 people, compared to Namibia’s 8.3 per 100 000.
“This situation demands immediate action, calling for increased investment in mental health and community-level psychosocial support,” she says.
Nabyonga reaffirms WHO’s support to the Namibian government, saying: “Together, we can ensure that mental health support is available when it is most needed. This will offer hope and healing to all communities in Namibia.”
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