History

Art: Lesley Charnock

I don't think most people realise how frequently women experience emotional distress before and after pregnancy.

When I heard that 1 in 3 women suffer with postnatal depression in a poor township of Cape Town, I was appalled. As a doctor working with women in the primary health setting, I needed to ask:

'What are we doing about this?'

Caring for mothers since 2002

In 2002, the Postnatal Depression Society of South Africa hosted a conference where this shocking statistic was reported: in Khayelitsha, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Cape Town, 35% of women experience postnatal depression.

After attending the conference, Dr Simone Honikman and a small group of midwives and volunteers resolved to address this health crisis. They focused on the public sector where very little was available for mothers in psychological distress.

The Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP) started as a small pilot service in the Liesbeeck Midwife Obstetric Unit at Mowbray Maternity Hospital. It is now housed in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town (UCT), under the umbrella of the Centre for Public Mental Health.

Growth

The PMHP has grown and changed over the years. It has added components to enhance the quality of care provided to women. These new developments include staff training, research and advocacy.

2005: Sally Field, development consultant, joined the PMHP as Project Coordinator.

2008: the Project was able to employ clinical psychologist, Bronwyn Evans, as a full-time Mental Health Officer at the service site.

The Project also pays for the services of a psychiatrist and clinical supervisors.

2009: Zuhayr Kafaar, research psychologist, came on board as a Consultant Statistician.

In addition, Ingrid Meintjes, gender activist and HIV researcher, joined the team as Communications Coordinator.

2010: the PMHP expanded its research programme, with Thandi van Heyningen joining the team as Research Coordinator. We were also fortuntate to have Charlotte Mande-Ilunga join us.

Charlotte is a professional nurse, midwife and counsellor. She was the head of a rural maternity unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is a survivor of the war in her country.

In addition to her individual counselling sessions with refugees from several countries, Charlotte has initiated group sessions which have allowed lonely and isolated women to share experiences, advice and friendship.

Charlotte expands the language capacity of PMHP with French, Swahili, Lingala and Kiluba.

2011: The PMHP enters into partnership with Hope House Counselling Centre to expand its maternal mental health service to 2 new sites.

Recognition

2004: Commendations from the World Health Organisation and World Federation for Mental Health.

2005: Impumelelo Innovations Trust Award for poverty alleviation and innovation.

2010: PMHP receives highest category nomination in the USAID AIDST AR-One 'most promising practice' database as a proven and innovative approach to HIV programming.

Milestones

2008: PMHP established as part of the Mental Health and Poverty Project (MHaPP), in the department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town. PMHP celebrates screening 5,000 clients.

Celebration 5,000 (above ltr): Ms Sally Field, Dr Philly Mabusela, Dr Simone Honikman

Prof Susan Fawcus, Ms Karin Moore

2009: PMHP produces and launches its film Caring for Mothers.

2010: The PMHP is a founding partner of the Centre for Public Mental Health, continuing the work of MHaPP with with leading international partners at the London School of Economics, the Institute of Psychiatry at University College London, Sangath Centre, India, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and others.

Read more about our partnerships here.

Read more about our activities here.