Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Jun 12
Lancet Series Pushes 5-in-1 PPH Bundle as Bleeding Kills 43,000 Mothers a Year
Updated
Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Jun 12
Lancet Series Pushes 5-in-1 PPH Bundle as Bleeding Kills 43,000 Mothers a Year
3 articles · Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · Jun 12
Summary
A Lancet Series says postpartum haemorrhage should be treated earlier and more systematically, urging action once 300 mL of blood loss is paired with abnormal vital signs.
The proposed MOTIVE bundle—uterine massage, an oxytocic drug, tranexamic acid, intravenous fluids and examination for the bleeding source—could cut progression to life-threatening haemorrhage by up to 60%.
The authors say diagnosis must shift from visual estimates to calibrated blood-collection drapes, arguing current practice misses about half of PPH cases and delays lifesaving care.
Postpartum haemorrhage affects 27 million women, kills nearly 43,000 each year and costs more than $10 billion globally, with midwives and nurses seen as crucial to faster first response.
The series also calls for prevention before birth—reducing anaemia, meeting contraception needs, avoiding unnecessary caesareans and ensuring uterotonic drugs after delivery—while pressing governments and donors to scale implementation.