Severe bleeding after childbirth is the leading cause of maternal death. Life-saving medicines and detection tools exist, but are largely unavailable in low- and middle-income countries where nearly all deaths occur.
Severe bleeding after childbirth is the leading cause of maternal death. Life-saving medicines and detection tools exist, but are largely unavailable in low- and middle-income countries where nearly all deaths occur.
14 million
Approximately 14 million women hemorrhage during childbirth each year.
94 %
It is estimated that 94% of all maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
70000
More than 70,000 women die every year due to severe bleeding after childbirth.
50 %
Close to half of all women with postpartum hemorrhage never get diagnosed.
Medicines for treating postpartum hemorrhage are not suited to needs of women who give birth in low- and middle-income countries. Most births take place at lower levels of the health system, which are often not equipped with highly skilled health care workers, and several important treatments for severe bleeding must be delivered intravenously, which requires specialist training. Meanwhile, there is an overreliance on a drug that requires cold chain storage, which can degrade in quality with that is not maintained. Many other women give birth at home or without medical assistance and need access to medicines that can be self-administered.
Health systems primarily rely on visual estimates of blood loss to judge if a woman’s life may be in danger, which can severely delay access to treatment. Women who give birth at home have limited options to prevent bleeding and may live far from a health center if an emergency occurs.
In many countries there is limited availability of low-cost and quality medicines for preventing and treating severe postpartum bleeding. Drugs adapted to local environmental conditions may also be in short supply.
