CNN Canvasses Increased Maternal Mental Health Awareness in Nigeria 

Esther Oluku

The gender reporting arm of Cable News Network (CNN), As Equals, has harped on the need to increase maternal mental health awareness and broaden maternal services to accommodate mental health offerings for improve maternal health outcomes in Nigeria.

The Managing Editor, CNN As Equals, Eliza Anyangwe, made the call during a panel session held at the premier of a theatre performance titled ‘M/OTHER’ produced by QDANCE Company in collaboration with Katy Streek for As Equals during the nine-day Acropolis 2024 celebration which held in Lagos.

Anyangwe noted that through the adaptation of journalistic reportage to theatre, her team hopes to expand maternal mental health awareness, catalyse positive behavioral change on the subject  and improve mental health service delivery for mothers in Nigeria.

The play, ‘M/OTHER’, captures the story of a young vibrant woman who lived a boisterous life until after getting married and having a child and her struggles with postpartum psychosis against the backdrop of socio-cultural expectations and stereotypes. 

According to Anyangwe, the need to destigmatize post partum mental health conditions as depression, psychosis as well as other maternal mental health conditions, is crucial to achieving an informed and empowered society.

Speaking on the importance of prioritizing the subject, she said: “The more we talk about maternal mental health, the more the media writes about it to provide information, the more people start to see that there are lots of different things that can happen, and that it doesn’t need to be any more stigmatized than getting malaria.

“However, the problem what we found with our journalism is that there’s a lot of stigma around mental health issues and so instead of trying to get support and treatment, people are locked up and we reflected this a little bit in the play.

“We understand that not everybody has access to the type of care that one might get in the UK, but what we know is there is some work that we can all do to move in a positive direction.”

The Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Abosede Afolabi, stated that the inability of patients of maternal mental health illnesses to be vulnerable and prevailing societal norms and expectations has exacerbated the situation. 

She further added that the condition is treatable with options including psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral change as well as selected medications compatible with breast feeding.

On her part, the Managing Editor, Nigeria Health Watch, Mrs. Vivianne Ihekweazu, opined that to accelerate action on the topic, government should consider incorporating mental health services into the health offerings at primary healthcare centers and as well provide information on how families can support nursing mothers. 

“If we are to revise the way mental health care is looked at, it should be instituted within primary health care which is really the foundation where women or any patient should access health care. And if that’s the case, then the goal would be, that mental health would be addressed at the primary health care level. 

“When women go for antenatal when they go for pre and postnatal care, that’s when they would have access to mental health care, because the repercussions are far deeper.” 

Ogun state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, stated that as part of efforts to drive policy action in her capacity as Commissioner and with the support of other Health Commissioners across the country, she would ensure that policies are formulated to enhance maternal mental health care access in Nigeria.