ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): The inaugural day of The Baby Matters Conference 2025, Pakistan’s first national conference on infant mental health, was successfully held at the Health Services Academy (HSA), Islamabad.
Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Dr. Nelson Azeem, chaired the opening ceremony and emphasized the importance of integrating infant mental health into national health policy. He highlighted the need to focus on mental and emotional well-being in the earliest years of life as a critical investment in the country’s future.
HSA warmly welcomed all national and international participants and announced the establishment of a dedicated Department of Infant Mental Health, marking a significant step toward institutionalizing early childhood mental health in Pakistan.
The inaugural sessions witnessed active participation from international experts, national professionals, and students, including midwifery students, who greatly benefited from exposure to the latest research, trauma-informed care practices, and early relational health models.
The momentum continues tomorrow, 12 April, with simultaneous satellite training workshops scheduled in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, focusing on skill-building in infant and early childhood mental health.
The conference will culminate on 13 April with a final day of sessions back at HSA in Islamabad, featuring collaborative discussions, policy formulation, and the announcement of the Pakistan Association of Infant Mental Health.
