Maternal & Child Health
While in Tanzania improving maternal and child health outcomes is a national priority, as the country continues to face high rates of maternal mortality, infant mortality, and malnutrition. Mental health issues among pregnant and postpartum women are prevalent but largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. Similarly, poor mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period, such as depression, anxiety, and stress, negatively affects maternal behaviors, including nutrition, breastfeeding, and adherence to medical care, leading to adverse outcomes for both mother and child. Furthermore, maternal mental health issues impairs the mother-child bond, which is essential for the child's emotional and cognitive development.
The Tanzania Mental Health Summit will explore and promote integration of mental health services into maternal and child health care, training health care providers, expanding community-based support, and raising public awareness, and overall to better support the mental well-being of mothers and their children, and leading to healthier families and communities.