Program BUNDA has been piloted in small scale in Sumba Barat Daya (SBD), NTT, using FMCH reserve funds, it was driven by the survey in early 2025 that revealed a high prevalence of maternal mental health challenges. To address this, we were adapting (World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed Thinking Healthy Program (THP), an evidence based intervention proven effective in South Asia. In India, randomized controlled trial (Lancet, 2019) showed THP delivered by trained peers significantly reduced perinatal depression. In Bangladesh, integrating depression management with psychosocial stimulation improved both maternal mental health and child development outcomes.
Building on this evidence, FMCH Indonesia has trained 15 midwives and Posyandu cadre in 3 villages in SBD, providing home visit to 36 pregnant mother. Early findings are promising, 72% of mothers reported visits are highly supportive, 64% said the “healthy calendar” increased self-awareness. Notably, 4 of 36 mothers (1 in 10) recovered fully from anxiety symptoms after just four visits.
