By Burnett Munthali
Mental-health activists and stakeholders in Malawi are calling for stronger community-based services, improved referral systems and coordinated action to ensure the effective implementation of the Mental Health Act, 2025, as the country observes Suicide Prevention Month.
The stakeholders say passing legislation alone will not be enough to improve mental-health care unless the government backs the law with adequate funding, trained professionals, infrastructure and effective implementation mechanisms across the country.
Joseph Daniel Sukali, Founder and Country Director of Sorry I’m Not Sorry: We Are All Sick, said Malawi needs to integrate mental-health services into primary healthcare while decentralising access to treatment and support.
Sukali said the Mental Health Act provides Malawi with an opportunity to move beyond responding only when people develop severe mental-health conditions and instead strengthen prevention, early identification, treatment, recovery and community support.
He cited his organisation’s community-led approach, which he said reached more than 6,000 people and supported the management of over 200 psychological emergencies between 2023 and 2025.
Sukali also urged families to change the way they respond to mental-health challenges, warning against treating such conditions as signs of weakness, laziness or lack of faith.
He encouraged families and communities to listen without judgement, recognise warning signs and encourage people experiencing psychological distress to seek professional assistance.
The activist further stressed that mental-health awareness should go beyond simply telling people that mental health is important. Communities, he said, need practical information about where to seek help and what services are available.
Meanwhile, mental-health advocate Dennis Mwafulirwa said the new legislation provides an opportunity for Malawi to develop a more rights-based, person-centred and community-focused mental-health system.
Mwafulirwa said people living with mental-health conditions must be protected from discrimination, abuse and degrading treatment while receiving appropriate care in an environment that respects their dignity.
He also emphasised that suicide prevention cannot be left to the health sector alone, saying families, communities, workplaces, civil society organisations and healthcare providers all have important roles to play.
As Malawi observes Suicide Prevention Month, Sukali said the real measure of the Mental Health Act’s success will be whether people experiencing psychological distress can identify where to obtain help, receive appropriate support and be treated with dignity.
The activists’ call highlights the need for Malawi to translate the principles of the Mental Health Act, 2025 into accessible services that reach people in communities across the country.
