Dear Community,

We would like to draw your attention to the "Maternal Mental Health in Africa - Conversations" symposium on 19 June 2024. The free, hybrid event is organized by the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health and the Africa Oxford Initiative at the University of Oxford, UK, in collaboration with the Perinatal Mental Health Project at the University of Cape Town.

Registration is open on Eventbrite.

The symposium promises rich discussions, collaboration opportunities, and the chance to shape the future of maternal mental health in Africa. We are particularly interested in hearing from speakers with real-world experience and expertise in the field from the African continent. The format will be conversational, with an emphasis on engaging discussions and debate.

We would like to invite you to submit an abstract for presentations at the symposium. The themes are:

1. Moving from Trial to Scale
2. Working with Social Determinants
3. Sustaining Capacity beyond Research

Submissions are welcome from researchers, advocates, practitioners, and individuals working in the NGO sector, with a focus on experiences and work conducted in Africa or with relevance to the African context.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 15 April 2024.

We very much look forward to your contributions to this important conversation on maternal mental health in Africa.

Together with Dr. Lisa Hoffmann from the German Ministry for Economic Development Cooperation (BMZ), we want to get together to discuss the issue of global mental health in conflict settings, our Hub Community theme for 2024-25. 

Ms. Hoffmann will outline the work of BMZ in this area. We will then hear short impulses on different areas of conflict; man-made conflicts, natural disasters and climate change. Finally, we will discuss the specific challenges of mental health in these particular areas. 

We look forward to your participation!
Merle & The Global Mental Health Community