KANO, Nigeria – Civil society group CHRICED urges Kano State to urgently integrate mental health services into maternal and child healthcare, warning that neglect is worsening preventable deaths.
Speaking at a community town hall on Wednesday, CHRICED Executive Director Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi says years of engagement reveal that mental health remains largely absent from antenatal and postnatal care.
“No woman should die giving birth. Mental health is not optional; it is essential,” he says.
Zikirullahi notes that many pregnant women experience prenatal anxiety, depression and postpartum disorders, often facing stigma rather than care.
“They are labelled witches or spiritually possessed instead of receiving medical help,” he says.
He adds that most primary healthcare centres lack trained personnel to provide mental health screening or counselling.
CHRICED calls for routine mental health assessments, counselling services and psychosocial support to be embedded in maternal healthcare protocols across Kano.
“It takes a mentally stable woman to raise a healthy child,” Zikirullahi stresses.
The organisation thanks MISEREOR KZE of Germany for supporting maternal health advocacy and urges collective action to reduce maternal and child mortality.
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