New WHO-backed research outlines strategies to prevent postpartum hemorrhage deaths
A three-part series published in The Lancet, co-authored by WHO physicians, identifies postpartum hemorrhage as the leading cause of maternal death and proposes a comprehensive set of interventions to address it. The condition affects 27 million women annually and kills 43,000, with mortality rates more than 200 times higher in low-resource countries than in wealthy ones. Researchers say adopting existing tools — including calibrated blood-collection drapes, standardized treatment protocols, and simulation-based team training — could reduce deaths by more than 95%.
A sweeping three-part Lancet series published by WHO researchers and collaborators lays out the scale of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and evidence-based strategies to combat it. PPH is the leading cause of maternal death globally, killing approximately 43,000 women per year and affecting 27 million annually. A key finding is that the rate of PPH does not differ significantly between high- and low-income countries — what differs is the quality and speed of response. A large trial spanning Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa involving more than 200,000 women tested early detection using calibrated blood-collection drapes combined with clear treatment criteria and simultaneous interventions, yielding a significant decrease in severe bleeding. The series also highlights logistical barriers in lower-resource settings, such as the need to refrigerate the frontline drug oxytocin, and calls for pit-crew-style simulation training for entire care teams. Researchers estimate that investing even 5% of the current cost of managing PPH into prevention would save both lives and money. Experts not involved in the research called the series a significant call to action and expressed optimism that eliminating PPH as the leading cause of maternal death is achievable within this decade.
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What would it take to stop women from bleeding to death after childbirth?
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