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Khomas Region tops list of suicide attempts – Suicide prevention taskforce launched

Khomas Region tops list of suicide attempts – Suicide prevention taskforce launched

The Ministry of Health and Social Services recently launched the Khomas Suicide Prevention Taskforce.

Due to the high rate of suicide and suicide attempts, Khomas Suicide Prevention Taskforce was initiated to create awareness and education, as well as to implement interventions on the prevention of suicidal behaviours, striving towards “ZERO” suicide in Khomas Region, Health Ministry Deputy Minister, Dr, Esther Muinjangue said last week Friday.

For the period January 2020 to June 2021 across the country, a total of 690 male adults died after they committed suicide, while a total of 101 adult females also succumbed through the act. During the same period, 22 male juveniles and 13 female juveniles committed suicide that resulted in their deaths.

Muinjangue said that the Khomas Region topped the list of suicide attempts among all the 14 regions in the country and this is an indication that suicidal behaviours are a serious problem in the region.

“Our national statistics are very worrisome and this is an indication that all of us need to act to suicidal behaviours, because Namibia, with its small population, loses a lot of lives due to suicide,” she added.

Meanwhile, during the launch of the task force, the ministry also observed World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), an awareness day celebrated on 10 September every year, since its first implementation in 2003.


 

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