Date: Saturday 10 October 2020
Venue: Facebook live
Time: 10am
Every 40 seconds, someone somewhere in the world dies by suicide; including mothers and children.
By the time you finish reading this article, over 5 people will have died from this preventable mental health condition. In low and middle-income countries like Uganda, 3 out of every 4 people you know with mental, neurological and substance use disorders will receive no treatment. According to the World Economic Forum (2018), mental health disorders are increasing in every country in the world and could cost the global economy up to $16 trillion between 2010 and 2030. The World Health Organization has set the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day as “an opportunity to kick-start a massive scale-up in investment in mental health”. It is on that note that Malketha Maternal Services is organizing a Facebook Live Chat with our in-house Doula, Euginia "Gigi" Criss.
Although Doula services are usually linked to the labor, the delivery process and birth outcomes, birth doulas provide both prenatal and postnatal support in a variety of ways, including mental, emotional, physical, psychoeducational, parenting, and advocacy. Studies show that mothers who use doula services endorse more child‐centered parenting values, show more positive engagement with their infants, and are more likely to respond to infant distress.
One of the objectives of Malketha Maternal services is to demystify the role of mental health in Maternal Health and Early Childhood Development; to encourage and facilitate the conversations around maternal mental health and its ripple effect on the health, livelihood and economy of communities and Uganda as a country. The goal is to be part of the collective effort to achieve the sustainable development goals, Goal 3 in particular (Good health and well-being) and as an avenue for One health.
"By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births"
Join our Facebook live chat this Saturday where Gigi, who has over 20 years’ experience working with local birthing centers, hospitals and with home-birth midwives, will be answering all your Doula-related questions.
Like and follow the Malketha Maternal Services social media pages by clicking the icons below so that you do not miss the Live chat notifications. For more information on how to be a part of this chat, email us on admin@malkethabirthservices.com
[1] Sydney L. Hans et al; Promoting Positive Mother–Infant Relationships: A Randomized Trial of Community Doula Support For Young Mothers, 2013