79th WHA Individual Statements
Distinguished delegates, my name is Silviana and I am a midwife from Tanzania.
In developing countries, around 20% of women experience mental disorders after child birth. We know that pregnancy transforms women physically, physiologically and anatomically. Many of the women I meet are not prepared for that transition and they are not supported. After delivery their lives and routines totally change- including many of the things that helped them protect their mental health. Some women lose their babies, some women give birth to babies with congenital malformation, some experience still birth or premature delivery, many women face breastfeeding challenges. I meet women who face abandonment by spouse - yet they must battle these challenges alone. It is time mental health is part of antenatal and postnatal checks by mental health experts.