Psychosocial support for pregnant women and for families with microcephaly and other neurological complications in the context of Zika virus
Interim guidance for health-care providers
On 1 February 2016 WHO announced that a cluster of microcephaly and other neurologic disorders reported in Brazil is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Several countries have reported an increase in the incidence of cases of microcephaly and/or Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) (2) concurrent with Zika virus outbreak. A causal relationship between Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly is strongly suspected, though not scientifically proven.
This document describes guidance for a supportive response by healthcare providers (e.g. physicians, nurses), focusing primarily on women affected by Zika virus infection during pregnancy and their families, for their mental health and psychosocial needs.
Translations of this document in Spanish and Portuguese will also soon be available on mhpss.net. To access these and other resources related to this crisis please go to Zika – Microcephaly, Emergency Response, 2016.
