Completed Pregnancy, Children & Inherited Conditions Mental Health

INTERSECT Africa

Funder AMS (part of Academy)
Recipient organisation Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Funding £25K
Period Mar 2025 — Feb 2026

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Around 4% of women in high-income countries develop post-traumatic stress disorder after a traumatic birth, but in sub-Saharan Africa—where maternal mortality and birth injuries are far higher—researchers have almost no data on the problem. The INTERSECT study previously surveyed birth-related PTSD across 31 countries, but only two were in sub-Saharan Africa. This networking grant fills that gap by building a research network across African countries to measure how common birth-related PTSD is and what causes it. Without this groundwork, maternity care in these regions will continue to lack evidence on the psychological aftermath of childbirth. If the network succeeds, it will generate the first robust data on birth-related PTSD in multiple African settings. That evidence could eventually change how maternity wards screen for trauma, train staff, and support mothers after difficult deliveries. The immediate output is not a clinical trial or a policy change—it is a coordinated research infrastructure. But without that infrastructure, the problem remains invisible, and care cannot improve.

View original technical description
Research in higher income countries suggests that approximately 4% of women will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a traumatic birth. Research in lower-middle income countries is sparse but suggests higher rates of PTSD after birth. The INTERSECT study was carried out in 31 countries to understand rates of birth-related PTSD, however, only 2 countries were based in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is a large research gap given the high levels of maternal mortality and birth injury rates found in these countries. This networking grant will therefore lay the groundwork for INTERSECT Africa, which will bring together a network of researchers in African countries who aim to find out about rates and causes of birth-related PTSD. This will eventually lead to changes in maternity care, improving the outcomes of mothers. We will lay the groundwork for INTERSECT Africa in this project by: (i) Strengthening research relationships between the UK and Malawi through in-person meetings, mentoring, and an INTERSECT conference; (ii) Build the network by identifying other African countries who are interested in participating in INTERSECT Africa and; (iii) Applying for funding to carry out INTERSECT in interested African countries.

View the original record at the funder ↗

Researchers

Genesis Chorwe-Sungani (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

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Equitable access to quality trauma systems in Lower and Middle Income Countries. Assessing gaps and developing priorities
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Original classification

Networking Grants

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.