Deaths linked to postpartum hemorrhage are preventable, says WHO

One every two minutes, and at least 800 a day worldwide. This is the number of women who died due to complications during childbirth, which lead to postpartum hemorrhage, that is, excessive bleeding, exceeding half a liter, which occurs during childbirth or in the following twenty-four hours.

But according to the World Health Organization (WHO), these deaths are preventable. On Wednesday 11 October the organization published a first roadmap to fight this plague.

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It establishes a multi-year plan, set between 2023 and 2030, with several objectives, the first of which is to reduce disparities between countries in terms of survival rates, because more than 85% Postpartum hemorrhage deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia.

To do this, priority measures include strengthening access to proven interventions, but also improving the supply of medicines and other products around the world. WHO recommends intervention at every stage with the patient.

A protocol that could reduce deaths by 80%

The first is to measure systematically bleeding, every birth. If a case of bleeding is detected, even if minimal, treatment must be implemented quickly, “ideally, within fifteen minutes of diagnosis”Note Olufemi Oladapo, director of the WHO reproductive health department. This arsenal includes drugs that strengthen the tone of the uterus, as well as uterine massage, finishing with more advanced care if necessary. According to the organization, this protocol could reduce these deaths by 80%.

In addition to care during childbirth, with this protocol WHO wishes to strengthen the training of health workers.

Postpartum hemorrhage causes approx 70,000 deaths every yearand, for those who survive, it can cause disability and psychological trauma. However, since 2016, these figures have remained stagnant.

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