Friday, March 21, 2025 – The Maternal Mental Health Alliance Indonesia, consisting of FMCH Indonesia, IBU Foundation, and Teman Ibu Indonesia, successfully held its first webinar of 2025. The event featured Dr. Alain Gregoire, founder of the Global Maternal Mental Health Alliance, as the keynote speaker. Additionally, Barbara Jayson, founder of FMCH Indonesia, participated as one of the panelists.
The webinar, themed “Awareness to Action: Addressing Maternal Mental Health Challenges,” provided an in-depth discussion on maternal mental health in a global context, presented by Dr. Alain. In his presentation, Dr. Alain revealed that depression is the greatest single cause of DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) for women aged 15-44. He also highlighted the significant impact of maternal depression on children, including poor antenatal care, reduced breastfeeding, malnutrition & stunted growth, diarrheal disease, and more.
It also included the findings of a micro-research study conducted by FMCH Indonesia in early 2025, examining maternal mental health conditions in remote areas of Indonesia, specifically Sumba and Soe, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The findings showed that a majority of the study participants—pregnant and postpartum mothers—were identified as experiencing depression. The research found that 42.2% of pregnant mothers experienced anxiety or depression, with 26.7% showing symptoms of PTSD. Among breastfeeding mothers, 39% experienced anxiety, and 37% exhibited PTSD symptoms.
Moderated by Syifa Andina, Non-Executive Chairwoman of FMCH Indonesia, the webinar also covered global and Indonesian laws and regulations related to maternal mental health, presented by Rinda Amalia, founder of Teman Ibu Indonesia. Fandy Sarjono, CEO of IBU Foundation, who has been involved in the Maternal Mental Health Alliance for several years, enriched the discussion by providing insights into maternal mental health conditions in other regions, particularly in West Java.
The presentations by Dr. Alain, FMCH Indonesia’s research consultant Herce Purnama, and supporting data from the panelists concluded that there is an urgent need to take concrete action to ensure Indonesian mothers have access to mental health support during pregnancy and postpartum.
FMCH Indonesia is committed to taking real action by providing training and socialization programs for midwives and Posyandu (integrated health post) cadres in its operational areas. These efforts aim to equip healthcare providers with the necessary knowledge and skills to appropriately support pregnant and postpartum mothers.
Join us in this movement! Collaboration will strengthen this initiative and help us reach more people in need.
