Averting the most common cause of maternal mortality

Defined as severe bleeding after childbirth, Postpartum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Each year, about 14 million women experience postpartum haemorrhage, resulting in about 70,000 maternal deaths.^[1]

Unitaid’s “Better tools to prevent and treat postpartum haemorrhage (PPH)” portfolio aims to catalyze the adoption of new and newly recommended drugs for PPH care and develop new PPH drug formulations and administration methods through three projects implemented by HRP^[1][2] (WHO), the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Jhpiego.

Total value of Unitaid’s PPH investment: US$ 45,000,000

Countries where the project will be implemented: Argentina, India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, United Kingdom, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Pakistan, and Tanzania.

[1] Say, L. et al. Global causes of maternal death: A WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Glob. Health. 2, 323–333 (2014).

[2] the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction.