New Program Supports Mental Health of New Mothers

Health experts and county officials have launched new mental‑health support initiatives aimed at mothers during and after pregnancy, addressing critical gaps in perinatal mental healthcare. In Vihiga County, the Maisha Mothers Programme was unveiled by Thalia Psychotherapy Group, partnering with public and private hospitals to integrate mental health checks into routine maternal‑child health visits.
As part of the Maisha Mothers Programme, trained counselors now offer screenings for postpartum depression, anxiety, and trauma related to stillbirth. The programme also includes a digital screening tool, enabling early detection right in maternal wards while reducing stigma and normalising mental health care for new and expecting mothers.
To ease financial stress—which often exacerbates maternal mental health challenges—the initiative runs a Maisha Duka scheme. Through this, mothers can access essential household items like baby diapers, maize flour, and sugar at subsidised rates, thanks to community health promoters. According to Mwende, Thalia’s Chief Operations Officer, poverty and traumatic deliveries are among the major drivers of depression among mothers in the area.
In Nairobi County, health authorities have launched a Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit developed in collaboration with the SUMMIT Study Kenya team. The toolkit equips frontline healthcare workers—including Community Health Promoters—with evidence-based strategies for screening, preventing, and treating perinatal anxiety and depression.