About 303 Malawians have committed suicide in the first six months of 2025, statistics from the Ministry of Health (MoH) have shown.
MoH acting Deputy Director Responsible for Mental Health and Non- Communicable Diseases Chituzu Chiumia disclosed this in Lilongwe on Friday during a National Level Stakeholders Meeting on the Impact of Drought on Academic Performance among Adolescents and Youth in Schools and Colleges.
Development Communications Trust (DCT) organised the meeting.
Chiumia said suicide cases have been on the rise in recent years.
He said in 2021, the country recorded 286 cases; in 2022 382 cases were registered, with the number of cases rising further in 2023, when they reached 527.
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According to the ministry, the situation worsened in 2024, when 597 cases were registered across the country.
He described the rise in suicide cases as worrisome, saying suicide cases in Malawi are probably among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The government has, therefore, put in place measures to address the growing cases of suicide,” Chiumia said.
Among the factors, Chiumia said depression ranks high in Malawi, at 4.8 percent; followed by anxiety at 4.4 percent.
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Bipolar disorder cases are third, at 0.5 percent.
DCT, with support from the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, is implementing a project on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mangochi, Kasungu and Karonga districts.
One of the components of NCDs is mental health.
DCT Executive Director Prince Mtelera said they organised the meeting to share with stakeholders some of the experiences they get as they interact with learners, especially during times of drought.
Mtelera said a rapid assessment in Nsanje and Chikwawa revealed that in times of drought, absenteeism is very high and there is a high level of dropouts.
“And if you interact with the learners, they will always tell you that ‘I can’t go to school, I don’t have food and when I go to school, I can’t concentrate’ and things like that. And we are also discussing [the issue of] how that could impact on learning,” he said.
