The region's deputy commissioner of police, Stain Chaima, says it is high time men in the law enforcement agencies opened up and shared their social-economic challenges to experts as opposed to resorting to suicide.

Commissioner Chaima said this on Friday at Luchenza in Thyolo after opening a day-long training for policemen following the background that in 2022, the region recorded that 134 people committed suicide of which 123 were men.

Chaima says this is the evidence that police officers especially men are also struggling with stress and depression; hence, the need to also target them with mental health and wellness interventions.

"It is not a secret to say in most cases we as men we die in silence. So, this is reason I called our officers and encouraged them not to do so. If they do that then they cannot be assisted," he said.

Thyolo district hospital mental expert, Charles Simba believes investing in mental health advocacy where men are sensitized on signs and symptoms of suicide thoughts, can help to reduce cases to zero.

"We need to sensitize and orient men so that they should be aware of mental health on what kind of signs and symptoms of suicidal thoughts," Simba said.

The training which was jointly organised by the Police Region Women Network in partnership with Thyolo district health officials and St John's of God, attracted some policemen from all the region's formations of Thyolo, Mulanje, Chiradzulu, Phalombe, Chikwawa and Nsanje.

Meanwhile, the region police women network's chairperson, Senior Superintendent Florida Kunyado Dzimbiri, while stressing that the law will not spare some women who are abusing men, says "time is now for men to break the culture of silence."