Above: Dr. Emily Peca, University Research Co. LLC; Molly Naisanga, Infectious Diseases Institute; Dr. Andrew Silumesii, East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community; Dr. Victoria Ngo, City University of New York; and Dr. Dilys Walker, University of California San Francisco

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. In developing countries this is even higher (15.6% during pregnancy and 19.8% after child birth). 

During the 2023 International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) in Cape Town, South Africa, the session “Advancing Evidence to Practice for Maternal Mental Health: Lessons learned from the Africa region” was hosted by ISC partners the Infectious Diseases Institute, the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), University of California San Francisco, and the City University of New York. It was moderated by Dr. Emily Peca, University Research Co. LLC. 

The discussion identified gaps and practical opportunities to advance the intersection of maternal health and mental health evidence to policy efforts through highlighting innovative interventions from Ethiopia and Uganda and provider mental health evidence from Malawi. The discussion explored implications for service delivery and subregional policy opportunities.

Takeaways from the 2023 International Maternal Newborn Health Conference.

The ISC's session at IMNHC featured a series of videos showcasing three distinct maternal mental health interventions in the Sub-Saharan region. These videos provide insights into the impact of the interventions, the challenges faced during implementation, and the strategies employed to address challenges.

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Health Evaluation and Applied Research Development (HEARD) Project is seeking a partner institution(s) to support the efforts of the Government of Honduras to end violence against children. The partner institution(s) should be based in Honduras, or based in the region, but with operational presence in Honduras. 

Implementation Science Collaborative (ISC) is a multi-stakeholder network addressing a range of health and development priorities through the better use of evidence to inform implementation. The ISC leverages USAID's Health Evaluation and Applied Research Development (HEARD) Project partnership to advance priorities across diverse thematic areas, such as woman-centered care, mental health and psychosocial support, protecting children from violence, and assistive technologies.

We acknowledge support from the Health Evaluation and Applied Research Development Project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under cooperative agreement AID-OAA-A-17-00002. The project team includes prime recipient, University Research Co., LLC (URC) and sub-recipient organizations. The information provided is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.