Namibia continues to face terrifying losses of young men to suicide. Between August 2022 and June 2023, 623 lives were lost, which is an average of over one person per day.
Of these, 80% were men, a pattern that has remained disturbingly consistent over time. With a suicide rate of 9.7 per 100 000 people, Namibia ranks fourth globally and first in Africa.
Police statistics from 2023/24 reported 542 suicide deaths: 449 men, 80 women, and 13 children. While no group is spared, empirical evidence continues to show that men are most at risk, often dying quietly.
Questions emerging from public discourse ask: Why isn’t suicide treated with the urgency of the Covid-19 or Malaria pandemics? Is it a health system failure, or does it reflect deep-rooted societal norms around masculinity?
Are we still getting ready to adopt these case-finding strategic approaches, or will it forever remain a silent pandemic?
The main cause of this crisis is cultural stigma around male vulnerability. In Namibia, just like in many other societies, men are raised to believe “men don’t cry.” Vulnerability is shamed, emotional expression is discouraged, and help-seeking is viewed as weakness. Depression is often dismissed as a “Western” concept.
Economic hardship worsens the problem. According to the Namibia Statistics Agency, youth unemployment stood at 44.7% in 2023. Men, expected to be providers, often feel shame and despair when unable to meet those expectations.
Interpersonal issues are not to be overlooked, romantic relationship breakdowns: “as a man, why are you heartbroken?”, alcohol dependency, all of which are often suffered in silence.
Alcohol abuse, in particular, is both a symptom and a cause: a coping mechanism that later results in self-destruction.
Masculinity and mental health
Gender is frequently considered as a fixed demographic variable rather than a culturally influenced construct that overlaps with other aspects such as tribe, race, sexual orientation, and age at the highest complex level.
All these aspects will have an influence on how each gender responds to emotional distress. Women attempt suicide more, but men die more often. A 2017 study in Windhoek showed women have higher rates of deliberate self-harm (DSH), which often allows for intervention.
Men suppress distress until a breaking point, then act with lethal intent.
This gendered pattern of response to emotional distress loudly speaks to social shaping, normalised silence around male vulnerability, and access to violent means, making their crises more abrupt and lethal.
What’s being done and what’s not
Namibia has taken steps. The 2018 National Suicide Prevention Strategy aims to improve data, awareness, and service delivery. The 116 Lifeline/ Childline hotline provides free counselling. NGOs like Second Chance Foundation, Regain Trust, and Lifeline/Childline offer psychosocial support.
The BeFree Youth Campus, led by former First Lady Monica Geingos, provides youth-friendly mental health care and a 24/7 support line. June, now Mental Health Awareness Month, has become a platform for youth-led campaigns and social media conversations. Some men have stepped up. Well done, kings.
Our communities already have organised institutions to capture physical threats, i.e. Men and Women Networks, Neighbourhood Watches. But suicide doesn’t always show clear signs. Can we also organise programmes around emotional threats, not with surveillance, but with presence? Community members trained to notice, to ask, and to listen could make a life-saving difference.
The way forward
Masculinity is often defined by being strong, independent, and dependable. But most men can’t live up to these stereotypes. Let’s reconsider these expectations and embrace vulnerability. That should be our starting point, before policy reviews.
Government must take bold, multisectoral steps. Expand mental health units, especially in rural areas. Train teachers, nurses, and social workers in mental health first aid. But services alone aren’t enough.
We need culturally rooted, peer-led support groups like “Mankind Namibia” or “Brother2Brother.” These spaces, supported by government would allow men to speak without shame.
Most importantly, we must learn to recognise emotional pain before it turns fatal. Safe spaces must exist in homes, schools, churches, and shebeens. This isn’t about making everyone a counsellor, but about learning to be present and respond without judgment.
Men must be leaders in the mental health conversation. And to every man who’s spoken up, checked in on friends, or simply kept going, you are part of the solution. Let’s build a culture where silence is no longer the only option.
-Likius T. Hailaula is a final year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery student and published author.
Henriette N. Paulus is a final year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery student and UNESCO O3 ambassador in Namibia