Over its 7 year history, the PMHP has built relationships to increase awareness, ensure sustainable interventions, and drive effective service design, implementation and policy development.

The PMHP works with health officials, hospital administrators, a range of health workers and community-based Midwife Obstetric Units as groundwork for the integration of mental health services into maternity care.

The PMHP is involved in an Early Childhood Development programme being piloted in Gugulethu. As a lead partner in the Maternal Support Group, the Project is working with

• City of Cape Town Health Department

• Western Cape provincial departments of Health, Social Development and Education

• Metro District Health Services

We have consulted to the Mental Health Substance Abuse Sub-directorate in the development of a maternal mental health intervention project to be piloted in 4 districts.

Through the Mental Health & Poverty Project (MHaPP), Zizwe & Associates – headed by former Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge – is facilitating ways for the PMHP to connect with parliamentarians to promote mental health policy implementation and development.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price with PMHP Director Dr Simone Honikman at the launch of Caring for mothers. Photo: Raymond Botha.

Health workers who make the work of the PMHP possible at Mowbray Maternity Hospital join us for the launch of our film Caring for mothers. Photo: Raymond Botha

• Under the umbrella of Mental Health and Poverty Project, the PMHP is part of a multi-country network of collaborators which includes Ghana, Zambia and Uganda and partners at the University of Leeds and the World Health Organisation.

• Fundraising efforts are underway to expand the reach of the Project's maternal mental health training to Rwanda and with other interested African partners.

• In 2009, the Mental Health Commission of Canada invited the Director to make recommendations towards the development of a mental health promotion strategy.

• In 2008, the Director was invited as an advisor to the World Health Organisation headquarters in Geneva to contribute towards the development of maternal mental health services for low resource settings.

• The World Health Organisation approached the PMHP to provide a case study on the integration of mental health into primary maternal health care, showcasing how this approach leads to better health outcomes.

• The PMHP case study was included in an international report on the mental health of vulnerable groups (in press 2009).