National Assembly Member Modou Lamin B. Bah is urging immediate government action on mental health following three suspected suicides reported across The Gambia in just one week.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the Banjul North representative described the deaths as a wake-up call and called for the development of a national suicide prevention strategy. He warned that the country can no longer afford to ignore the growing mental health crisis.
“These are not just numbers. These are lives lost, families mourning, and communities in distress,” Bah said.
The lawmaker highlighted cultural stigma, legal barriers, and a lack of professional mental health support as major challenges preventing people from seeking help. He called for the decriminalization of attempted suicide, saying the current laws discourage individuals from accessing care.
Bah stressed that the recent cases are part of a larger, troubling trend. “Too many people are suffering in silence,” he said. “We need to break that silence with compassion, policy, and action.”
The MP’s appeal comes amid growing concern over the state of mental health services in The Gambia, where access remains limited and public dialogue is often suppressed by societal norms.
