On Tuesday, 01 September 2026, the SA Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH), the African Alliance For Maternal Mental Health (AAMMH), the Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP) and UNFPA partnered for a special session of Awareness in Action by SAFMH, focused on Prioritising Maternal Mental Health.
Around the world, 10% of pregnant women and 13% of new mothers experience a mental health condition, most often depression. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), these numbers are even higher, with 15.6% affected during pregnancy and 19.8% after giving birth. Despite this, maternal mental health has not been a priority issue on health agendas, especially in LMICs.
A special thank you to our expert speakers, Jacqueline Malebe (AAMMH) and Simone Honikman (PMHP). We appreciate you for sharing why this issue matters and the practical steps needed to move maternal mental health from the margins to the centre of public health care.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. If you couldn’t join us live, you can watch the recording below:
