Amid a volatile economic environment, 153 people, mostly men, killed themselves from January to March 2025 alone.
Malawi Police Service statistics have shown that suicide cases continue to rise in Malawi with figures from the first quarter of 2025 surpassing those of the corresponding period in 2024.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) regards suicide as a public health problem that requires a public health response and that with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions, suicides can be prevented.
The statistics show that from January to March 2025, 153 suicide cases were reported with 125 of them involving males while 28 only involved females.
During the same period last year, 126 suicide cases were reported with 109 involving males while 17 involved females.
This means that while overall suicide cases continue to rise, males are the ones who are largely committing the vice as compared to females.
National Police spokesperson Harry Namwaza said on Friday the most affected age group is between 20 and 39 years, with 61 males and 15 females in this age bracket having committed suicide in this year’s first quarter.
prevalent among males.
I Nation
He said: “The issue is especially prevalent among men, most of whom are reluctant to seek help or share their problems such as marital disputes, drug and substance abuse and unsettled debts.”
Namwaza, therefore, appealed to individuals who are facing hardships to present their issues to victim support units to seek guidance and counselling instead of opting for suicide.
WHO’s March 25 2025 overview states that more than 720 000 people die due to suicide yearly and that suicide is the third leading cause of death in the age bracket of between 15 and 29 years.
The overview further states that 73 percent of global suicides occur in low and middle-income countries and that reasons are multifaceted, influenced by social, cultural, biological and environmental factors present across the life course.
Reads the overview: “For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is an important risk factor for suicide in the general population.”
The WHO further states that for national responses to be effective, a comprehensive multi-sectoral suicide prevention strategy is needed.
In an earlier interview with Nation on Sunday, psychotherapist Cecilia Shamim Saidi, who runs Vintage Health Wellness Centre which offers mental and emotional health services in Blantyre, also attributed social media influence as one of the factors pressurising youths to become what they are not ready to be.
She said this results in financial stress, failure to handle life and life’s manageable challenges; hence, leading to suicide.
According to Saidi, a majority of males both under and above the age of 30 are also committing suicide due to an overall prejudiced culture of upholding them as those who do not express emotions.
She said: “Boys are oriented in this culture and assimilate the notion that they are strong, meaning not sharing and showing emotions. They bottle inside and pressured emotions come out with a thrust.”
The Malawi Demographic and Health Survey states that some of the major factors leading to females committing suicide include gender inequality and poverty.
The survey states that women living in poverty are likely to experience stress, depression and other mental health problems, as such, increase the risk of suicide.
According to the survey, discrimination against women in terms of education, unemployment and access to
resources can lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair which also increases the risk of suicide.
Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare spokesperson Pauline Kaude in August 2023 said the government has developed and launched a strategy to help address the situation.
She said the strategy targets to empower men of all ages to come out once their rights are violated and seek support from service providers.
“This is because it has been discovered that the little cause of the rise in suicide is emotional abuse and breakdown of relationships,” said Kaude.
She said the ministry has also strengthened coordination with Ministry of Health, police and the Judiciary to discuss and find solutions to suicide.
Kaude said such a holistic approach is trickling down to district and community levels and that mass awareness on evils of suicide, cash management and counselling is being conducted
