Lifeline Fiji is a suicide prevention helpline and counseling service.

In a report they published last year, the NGO highlighted that 124 people on average in Fiji die as a result of a suicide.

From 2013 to 2018, 630 Fijians were victims of suicide.

Lifeline Fiji Director, Jeremiah Merekula says they currently sort through 18 calls a day of people in need of help.

He says Fijians struggling with a mental health need to know that there are services available and people trained to help.

“For the lifeline crisis line, every, all the crisis support workers with lifeline Fiji are trained on crisis intervention works. So with Lifeline Fiji, it acts as paramedics, an example for St. Johns before when people are going through things, the St. Johns comes and stabilizes them before taking them to the hospital, so Lifeline Fiji acts as paramedics.”

Last week, an 11-year-old primary school student became the country’s latest suicide victim.

Police also revealing that 12 people have died this year as a result of suicide in comparison to 8 for the same period last year.

They also noted that 16 people had attempted suicide in comparison to 6 for the same time last year.

Lifeline Fiji’s toll-free helpline is 132 454 and is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.