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Overview
The Maternal Mental Health Integration in Antenatal Care (MMH-ANC) study is a pilot initiative implemented across three public health facilities in Sindh, Pakistan. It integrates maternal mental health education and psychosocial support into routine antenatal care (ANC), leveraging the Pregnant Women and Birth Registry (PWBR) and Sindh Electronic Immunization Registry (SEIR-ZM) to strengthen data-driven maternal and child health services. The pilot was implemented at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, from April 28 to September 30, 2025; District Headquarters Hospital, Kotri, from April 14 to June 2, 2025; and Civil Hospital, Sujawal, from April 14 to August 8, 2025. These sites demonstrated the feasibility of embedding psychosocial care within existing health systems to enhance maternal well-being and health outcomes.
3,783
women reached through group sessions
1,880
women received mental health counselling
Our Partners
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- IRD Pakistan (Lead Implementing Agency)
- Government of Sindh, Department of Health
- Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre
- Civil Hospital Sujawal
- District Headquarters Hospital Kotri
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The Need
The Need
Despite progress in maternal health
Despite progress in maternal health, Pakistan continues to face high maternal mortality and stark disparities in healthcare access.
Only 52% of births are attended by skilled personnel
Only 52% of births are attended by skilled personnel, and just 63.9% of women receive full tetanus protection. Rural and low-income populations remain disproportionately underserved, often missing essential antenatal (ANC), postnatal (PNC), and mental health care. Millions of unregistered children remain “zero-dose,” vulnerable to preventable diseases like polio and tetanus.
Addressing these gaps requires holistic, integrated, and digitally
Addressing these gaps requires holistic, integrated, and digitally connected health services that support both physical and mental well-being.
Our Approach: Delivery
The intervention embedded maternal mental health and health education into routine care through:
- Group sessions at gynecology OPDs on ANC, PNC, and mental health, led by trained facilitators.
- Follow-up counseling calls by lay mental health counselors for third-trimester women, providing emotional support and behavioral guidance.
- Feedback calls two weeks later to assess experience, satisfaction, and impact. By integrating with the PWBR–SEIR digital platforms, the program ensured continuity between maternal TT vaccination, delivery preparedness, and newborn immunization tracking.
Our partners
PDI has a nationwide footprint, focusing on districts identified by the national STH survey— 47 at-risk districts requiring annual deworming.
The Drivers Behind Our Impact
The Drivers Behind Our Impact
Integration of mental health within maternal and child health systems
Use of digital health infrastructure (PWBR and SEIR-ZM) for real-time tracking
Training and supervision of lay counselors and health workers
