By Evance Matola
Ministry of health has urged stakeholders to join hands in fighting against suicide cases in Malawi.
Ministry’s spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe told Malawi News Agency (mana) on Wednesday in an interview that the ministry has various instruments such as National Suicide Strategy and Suicide Act which decriminalises acts of people killing themselves, in order to end suicidal incidents.
“To end suicide is not one player issue, everyone must play a role. As a ministry, we are committed to fight against suicide, but we need collaboration from even citizens,” Chikumbe said.
He said the ministry has trained primary school teachers to help learners who are battling against stress with psychological support and also trained health professionals who are based in community and district hospitals.
Kamuzu University Health Sciences (KUHES) Clinical Psychologist, Moses Muotcha has urged men who are going through hard times to embrace a culture of opening up and seek psychological support from professionals.
“Generally, men are regarded as strong and hardly open up whenever they are stressed, I urge authorities to put in place centres where men can come together and empty up their stress”, Muotcha Said.
10th September every year is world’s suicide prevention day and this year’s commemoration falls under the theme Changing the narrative on suicide which centres on urging people to challenge harmful myths, reduce stigma and foster open, compassionate conversations about suicide.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), suicide is a major public health challenge which claims 720,000 people every year globally.
Malawi police reported 153suicide cases for January to March 2025, of which 125 were male and 28 were female.
World suicide prevention day was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in partnership with the WHO.
