Police calls people to seek counselling

By Alex Kachingwe

Blantyre, September 10, Mana: Malawi Police Service (MPS) has urged people in the country to always visit Victim Support Units (VSU) in all police stations for them to seek guidance and counselling whenever they have problems impinging their lives.

The call has come as the world commemorates World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September and the month of September as the national suicide prevention month under the theme; Start the Conversation aimed to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicides.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday, National Deputy Public Relations Officer for Malawi Police Service, Harry Namwaza expressed worry over rising cases of suicide in the country.

“Malawi Police Service has recorded 281 suicide cases from January to June 2024, a significant increase compared to the same period in 2023 when 220 cases were reported. Out of the 281 cases in 2024, 246 were males and 35 were females, and in 2023 during the same period, 198 males and 22 females committed suicide respectively,” he said.

Namwaza marked debts, broken relationships, family conflicts, drug and substance abuse among the youth as major contributing factors to the rise of suicide cases in Malawi.

He further urged all people not to consider suicide as a solution to their problems but rather should consider sharing their problems with others who can be trusted.

Concurring with Namwaza, a Lilongwe based Mental Therapist and Counsellor at Compassionate Counselling Service, Beatrice Ndawala said the month of September is very important to the whole world and particularly our nation because it serves as a month to do more on addressing issues regarding suicide.

“As a country, we need to recognize this as an opportunity to join hands to openly discuss mental health issues which lead to suicide attempts and encourage each other to seek support whenever finding challenges with mental health issues,” she said.

Ndawala urged stakeholders to complement the government by bringing more intervention in the fight against suicide, by ensuring that mental health services are easily accessible and that issues about financial problems, trauma, alcohol and drug abuse are being addressed in the community.

She further encouraged all people to share their problems with individuals they trust or seek therapy as the best solution to their problems to prevent suicide attempts.

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