International partnership targets perinatal mental health care in rural South Africa
Long-term capacity building is required to address perinatal mood disorders which affect more than a third of women in South Africa, negatively impacting individuals and families.
To address this, local, international health care professionals and academics met in Mahikeng from 9 to 13 March 2026. The purpose was to advance a joint programme aimed at improving early detection and management of perinatal mood disorders in rural South Africa. Limited access to specialised mental-health services in these areas continues to affect maternal and child health.
The initiative, Capacity Building in Managing (Perinatal) Mood Disorders in Rural South Africa (CaBu-PeriMooD), is a collaboration between Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital in Mahikeng, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany, and the North-West University (NWU) School of Nursing.
The programme focuses on healthcare workers, strengthening screening systems, and developing research cooperation to support mental-health care for mothers before and after childbirth.
Chief executive officer of Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital, Molefi Monokoane, said the partnership reflects a shared responsibility among institutions to improve patient care.
“Now that we have established this partnership, we are one. The aim is to work together to improve outcomes for patients and strengthen services in the province,” he said.
Concerns over mental-health training
During discussions on nursing education, Prof. Rorisang Machailo from the NWU’s Faculty of Health Sciences outlined the structure of the nursing curriculum in South Africa. Participants noted that recent curriculum revisions reduced the time allocated to psychiatric nursing, limiting the level of training received by undergraduate students.
Stakeholders indicated that current Bachelor of Nursing students receive introductory exposure to psychiatry, potentially widening the gap in mental health expertise. This may contribute to shortages of trained personnel in mental-health services, particularly in rural areas where specialist support is limited.
Addressing healthcare professionals during a multidisciplinary seminar, Prof. Patience Kovane, a researcher in perinatal mental health at the NWU, said the programme responds to the high prevalence of perinatal mood disorders in South Africa.
“Research shows that close to 39% of mothers experience perinatal mood disorders, with the burden higher in rural communities where access to specialised care is limited,” she said.
The CaBu-PeriMooD project, explained Prof. Kovane, will introduce validated screening tools, structured training and a task-sharing model that allows nurses and community health workers to identify symptoms, manage and early referral of patients for further treatment.
“If we want sustainable solutions in healthcare, we must work together across disciplines, institutions, and countries. This partnership allows knowledge to be shared while ensuring that training remains relevant to local conditions,” she said.
The collaboration reflects the university’s commitment to research that responds to community needs, said Prof. Kovane, noting that the NWU continues to expand its international partnerships while strengthening work in public health.
Training and research collaboration
Dr Angel Phuti, research associate from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, presented the objectives of the CaBu-PeriMooD project. She encouraged stakeholders to actively participate in the initiative, training and research activities linked to the programme.
A clinical session led by Dr Nthabiseng Morwe, psychiatrist at Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital, shed light on perinatal mental health. Participants indicated prior lack of awareness on perinatal mental-health conditions. This may contribute to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Dr Morwe emphasised the urgent need for broader awareness, not only among healthcare professionals but also within communities.
An interprofessional roundtable discussion, led by Dr Motsei Melford Moloto from Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital and Dr Stieglitz from Charité, fostered meaningful engagement. The session highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in effectively addressing perinatal mental health challenges and identified key considerations for the project’s future direction.
Discussions during the engagement centred on strengthening training, improving screening at the primary-care level and aligning the programme with existing provincial health services. Participants agreed that long-term capacity building is required to ensure that rural facilities can identify and manage perinatal mood disorders.
The CaBu-PeriMooD collaboration is expected to continue through follow-up training, joint research and the development of materials for use in public healthcare facilities, with the aim of improving support for mothers, infants and families in rural communities.
Management members of the Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital in Mahikeng management, visitors from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, and academics from the NWU’s School of Nursing came together to discuss the advancement of a joint programme aimed at improving early detection and management of perinatal mood disorders.