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Kenya: Still a Mum - Fighting the Silent Battle of Maternal Mental Health
Nigeria Health Watch, 9 January 2024
"Three years ago, my life changed in ways I could never have imagined. I lost a six-month-old pregnancy, followed by two other miscarriages. One day, my domestic help told me that… Read more »
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South Africa: Teen Mums in South Africa - Largest Ever Study Explores What It Takes to Go Back to School
The Conversation Africa, 17 August 2023
Imagine the weight of responsibility for caring for a child when you are not yet fully grown yourself, and the fear of being shamed by parents, fellow learners, and even strangers… Read more »
Still A Mum Champions Maternal Mental Health in Kenya
Maternal mental health is a pressing concern in Kenya due to high rates of miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths. With stillbirths at 19 per 1,000 births and 10% of pregnancies resulting in miscarriages among women aged 15 to 49, families face immense burdens, highlighting the urgent need for accessible, quality mental health services, reports Joyce Chimbi for Nigeria Health Watch.
Still A Mum, a non-profit organization, provides crucial support through individual and group therapy, addressing child loss bereavement, postpartum depression, and more. Still A Mum, founded by Caroline Wanjiru Kihusa after her own pregnancy loss, aims to destigmatize this grief by providing comprehensive maternal mental health support.
Through a mix of online and offline initiatives, Still A Mum offers a spectrum of services, aiding over 6,000 women who have experienced child loss.
The organization advocates for policy changes, partnering with the government to develop laws addressing maternal mental health and advocating for respectful bereavement care in healthcare settings. They also train counselors, healthcare workers, and community health volunteers to provide critical support, recognizing the pivotal role these individuals play in delivering mental health interventions.
InFocus
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Adolescent pregnancy is a major problem in Africa, with many adolescent mothers facing challenges such as poverty, lack of education, and social stigma, Read more »
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Teenage pregnancies in many African countries increased during lockdowns and school closures during Covid-19. Human Rights Watch in a report, said that in nearly one-third of ... Read more »
Despite a plethora of challenges, experts say Kenya is making slow but sure progress toward providing comprehensive maternal health care.
