Supporting Maternal Mental Health and Nurturing Care in Humanitarian Settings

Abstract

The estimated number of forcibly displaced persons around the globe is at a record high--nearly 70.8 million (UNHCR 2019)--75 percent of whom are women and children. This includes 34 million adolescent girls and young women, who are among the groups with the highest risk for health concerns. Indeed, many of the countries with the worst maternal and child health indicators are currently experiencing or have recently experienced a humanitarian crisis. The breakdown of health systems in humanitarian settings can cause a dramatic rise in mortality that would otherwise be easily preventable (Al Gasseer et al. 2004). The concentration of adversities associated with humanitarian settings puts young children at great risk of impaired development. Despite the enormous need for early childhood services in humanitarian settings--some 250 million children are living in countries affected by armed conflict--there is a severe lack of such support. Issues related to the mental health and wellbeing of caregivers are often overlooked, despite evidence that attending to their needs is essential in effective interventions (Casey 2015; Chynoweth et al. 2018). The World Health Organization (WHO) has made it a priority to address health care in humanitarian emergencies, in keeping with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health. Understanding health-care needs in these contexts and developing effective guidance materials has been an increasingly important topic on the WHO's global health agenda over the last few years. In this commentary, the authors argue that while evidence-based programs for maternal mental health do exist, tailoring approaches to include content on nurturing care and acknowledging the link between maternal mental health and child development must be a priority for multiple interventions and platforms.