New Research Calls for Urgent Action on Postpartum Bleeding

Postpartum haemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of maternal deaths worldwide despite the availability of effective treatments and preventive measures.

A major new Lancet Series has revealed the enormous global impact of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), estimating that excessive bleeding after childbirth affects around 27 million women every year and contributes to nearly 43,000 maternal deaths annually.

Researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO), the University of Oxford and HRP, the United Nations-backed reproductive health research programme, found that the condition also places a heavy economic burden on countries, health systems and families, costing more than US$10 billion each year. Postpartum haemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of maternal deaths worldwide despite the availability of effective treatments and preventive measures.

Experts Urge Earlier Detection and Faster Treatment

The research calls for major changes in how healthcare providers identify and manage excessive bleeding after birth. One of the key recommendations is to begin treatment once blood loss reaches 300 millilitres if accompanied by abnormal vital signs, rather than waiting until more severe bleeding occurs. The Series also challenges the long-standing practice of visually estimating blood loss during childbirth. According to the researchers, visual assessments miss around half of all postpartum haemorrhage cases because they often underestimate the amount of blood lost.

Instead, experts recommend using calibrated blood collection drapes, which provide more accurate measurements and allow healthcare workers to identify complications earlier. The report also highlights opportunities to reduce the risk of postpartum haemorrhage before labour begins. Addressing anaemia during pregnancy, improving access to family planning services, reducing medically unnecessary caesarean sections and ensuring women receive effective uterotonic medicines after delivery could significantly lower the number of cases worldwide.

Simple Treatment Bundle Could Save Thousands of Lives

Researchers point to a straightforward emergency response package known as the MOTIVE bundle as one of the most effective ways to prevent severe complications. The five-part treatment includes uterine massage, administration of an oxytocic drug, tranexamic acid, intravenous fluids and an examination to identify the source of bleeding. Studies show that applying these interventions immediately can reduce progression to life-threatening haemorrhage by as much as 60 per cent. A major advantage of the approach is that it allows nurses and midwives to begin treatment without waiting for specialist intervention, a factor that can be critical when every minute counts.

The Series describes postpartum haemorrhage as a race against time, identifying several delays in diagnosis, treatment and access to blood products that often determine whether a woman survives. Researchers argue that no woman should lose her life to postpartum bleeding when proven treatments and practical tools are already available. The report calls on governments, healthcare providers, professional organisations, and international partners to make postpartum haemorrhage a higher priority. Expanding access to equipment, training frontline health workers and adopting evidence-based interventions on a larger scale could save thousands of mothers' lives each year.