40% of calls received yearly at Lifeline Fiji are suicide calls

If you are facing any issues, please talk to someone or seek help as 40% of calls received yearly at the Lifeline Fiji Help Centre are suicide calls.

Every 36 hours, a Fijian attempts to commit suicide according to Lifeline Fiji.

With suicide being one of the leading causes of death in Fiji, Officer In Charge at Lifeline Fiji, Jeremaia Merekula, says every year, males have recorded the highest number of suicide cases with more than 70% of completed suicide cases last year being males.

When questioned on the type of calls received by them during the COVID-19 period and now, Merekula says they receive calls from people facing financial constraints, students struggling with school work and people facing domestic violence or relationship problems.

He adds anxiety in students can come in many forms but for students, it’s how they tackle their school work.

He says even senior citizens are calling in because they are lonely.

If you are going through some issues, please speak to a counsellor by contacting Lifeline Fiji on 1543.