Wilson Center Event: Integrating Mental Health Into Maternal Health Programs

In order to address one of the most common health problems in pregnancy, mental health, we’re excited to announce an upcoming policy dialogue, Integrating Mental Health into Maternal Health Programs, on Thursday, April 9th at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. This dialogue is part of our partnership with UNFPA and the Wilson Center, which was recently voted the #1 think tank in the United States and one of the top ten think tanks in the world.

Interested in attending? RSVP and see the invitation from the Wilson Center below to learn more details about how to participate in the event.

When: Thursday, April 9, 2015 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT

Where: The Wilson Center, 5th Floor Conference Room, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania, Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Perinatal common mental health disorders (PCMDs), like maternal depression, are among the most prevalent health problems in pregnancy. In low- and middle-income countries, about 16 percent of pregnant women will suffer from a PCMD, which can increase the likelihood of preterm birth and low birth weight. However, very few pregnant women proactively seek help or engage in treatment, and less than 15 percent receive needed care. Addressing mental health concerns could play an important role in achieving the proposed Sustainable Development Goals, but remains conspicuous by its absence in large-scale global maternal health programs. Working with care providers, who are not mental health specialists, in antenatal health care facilities, can expand access to these needed interventions in low-resource settings. Now is the time for innovations that will continue to reduce child mortality – and attention to maternal mental health must be part of this effort.

Speakers

Dr. Ricardo Araya
Professor Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Jane Fisher
Jean Hailes Professor of Women’s Health and Director Jean Hailes Research Unit School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University

Moderator

Sandeep Bathala
Senior Program Associate, Wilson Center

Want to attend but can’t?
Tune in to the live or archived webcast at WilsonCenter.org  (not every event is webcast  live; archived webcasts go up  approximately one week after  the meeting).

Media guests, including TV crews, should RSVP directly with Benjamin Dills. Media bringing heavy electronics MUST indicate this in their response so they may be admitted into the building.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @NewSecurityBeat and @MHTF and by following #MHdialogue. To find more coverage of these issues on the Wilson Center’s blog, NewSecurityBeat.org.