Bukhman Philanthropies have donated £500,000 over three years to United for Global Mental Health to advocate for better mental health support for women during and after pregnancy.
Perinatal depression, anxiety, and other maternal mental health conditions affect up to 1 in 5 women globally. Neglecting maternal mental health affects mothers and their children, and can lead to issues such as low birth weight and delayed development.
Daria Bukhman, Co-Founder and Chair of Bukhman Philanthropies, said, “Every mother deserves to survive and thrive. We need to make sure that the voices of mothers are heard, and their mental health is prioritised. That is why we are so pleased to be supporting United for Global Mental Health as part of our efforts to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and their families.”
Sarah Kline, CEO of United for Global Mental Health, said, “With the support of Bukhman Philanthropies, United for Global Mental Health is deepening and expanding its advocacy work on maternal mental health. We are already working with partners in Africa to help advocate for better mental health care for mothers where it’s most urgently needed. Now we are building and expanding on that work in Asia.”
In 2025, United for Global Mental Health, together with UNICEF and national CSO partners, launched the global campaign Maternal Mental Health: A Right, Not a Privilege – OUR VOICE, sharing lived-experience stories from mothers and frontline workers. Through the organisation of peer-to-peer exchanges among African organisations, it developed an advocacy brief to help catalyse greater policy change and a resource brief with examples of successful projects addressing perinatal mental health. In 2026, this work will continue, with efforts expanding to Asia.
Together, Bukhman Philanthropies and United for Global Mental Health are calling for:
- Integration of mental health into existing maternal and child health services.
- Access for all women, during pregnancy and after birth, to a primary and community care health professional trained in mental health care.
- Prioritising funding for essential maternal and child health services that include maternal mental health care.
United for Global Mental Health (UnitedGMH) exists to achieve good mental health for all. It is the leading mental health advocacy partner for organisations, including the WHO and UNICEF. It plays a unique role in global mental health, bringing together people with lived experience of mental health and the civil society organisations (CSOs) working with them, along with national governments, philanthropic donors, and international organisations. As secretariat of the Global Mental Health Action Network, it coordinates over 10,000 members in 170 countries working to deliver better mental health for all. Learn more: https://unitedgmh.org/maternal-mental-health/