ISLAMABAD:The Health Services Academy (HSA) in collaboration with the Pakistan Alliance for Early Childhood (PAFEC), UNICEF and the International Research Force (IRF) will organize an online webinar on perinatal mental health and child development in Pakistan on November 5.
The webinar, scheduled from 3 p.m. to 4: 30 p.m., will bring together mental health specialists, researchers and early childhood development experts to discuss challenges, impacts and potential solutions related to perinatal mental health.
The discussions will cover the prevalence and risk factors of perinatal mental health conditions, their underlying determinants and gaps in existing healthcare services. Participants will also review research, ongoing programmes and implementation efforts in Pakistan.
Speakers will examine how maternal mental health affects caregiving, child health and early development, highlighting the importance of supporting mothers during pregnancy and the period following childbirth.
The webinar will also explore practical approaches, including screening, early interventions, integration of mental health services into the healthcare system and policy measures to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
The speakers will include Prof. Abid Malik and Dr. Ikhlaq Ahmad from HSA’s Department of Public Mental Health, Dr. Najia Atif, Mental Health Specialist at the Human Development Research Foundation, and Dr. Saba Shuja, Early Childhood Development Manager at UNICEF. Chief Executive Officer of PAFEC Khadija Khan will host the session.
According to organizers, the initiative aims to promote evidence-based approaches to maternal mental health and strengthen efforts to support healthy early childhood development in Pakistan.