Emotional and mental support after a pregnancy loss – Kenya
Dinsdag 14 april 2026Through this project, mothers in Kenya who have experienced a stillbirth receive emotional and mental support as part of their regular care. Nurses are trained to provide immediate support following the loss, and mothers are actively followed up with via phone or text messages.
Women at higher risk are referred to professional counseling. This approach makes mental health care an integral part of postpartum care, enabling sadness, anxiety, and depression to be identified and treated earlier, and providing mothers with better support during their recovery.
Goal:
Integrating mental health care
Theme:
Motherhood and mental health
Target audience:
59.685 women
Location:
Kenya
Health pioneer:
Mercy Mwende
Project
Objective
Results
Project
After a stillbirth, mothers often receive only physical care, while mental health support is lacking. This project integrates emotional support into existing care through direct assistance, follow-up, and referrals. In this way, mental health care becomes a standard part of postpartum care, and issues are addressed earlier.
Objective
Developing and implementing a simple care pathway in which mental health support is routinely offered following a pregnancy loss. Through training for healthcare providers and systematic follow-up, mental health issues are identified and treated more quickly, and the quality of maternal care is sustainably improved within existing healthcare systems.
Results
- Mothers receive immediate emotional support following a loss
- Follow-up within seven days of the event
- Prompt referral to professional counseling
- Improved recognition of mental health symptoms
- Reduction of stigma surrounding mental health
Health pioneer Mercy Mwende
Mercy Mwende is a psychologist and co-founder of an organization that makes mental health care accessible. She has extensive experience providing mental health care to mothers and works closely with healthcare institutions. She develops programs that integrate mental health support into existing healthcare systems and trains healthcare providers to identify and address mental health issues early on.
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