Join Francine Coeytaux from the Public Health Institute and colleagues from Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria for a presentation of approaches used in these countries to scale up use of misoprostol at the community level to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.

Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in low-income countries, accounting for more than 30% of maternal deaths and it is arguably the most preventable. The risk of hemorrhage at birth is highest for women who deliver at home because they do not benefit from the support of skilled birth attendants and are less likely to receive care and medications that prevent postpartum hemorrhage. One promising approach to the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage where the incidence of maternal mortality due to postpartum hemorrhage is high, and many women still deliver at home, is to provide misoprostol—an inexpensive pill that, when taken immediately after delivery, can reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage by 24%–47%. The discussion will highlight the lessons learned from three innovative programs that might inform policy makers and program managers in other African countries committed to reducing postpartum hemorrhage and meeting the new Sustainable Development Goals.

Join Francine Coeytaux of the Public Health Institute and colleagues from Nigeria for a presentation of approaches used to scale up use of magnesium sulfate to treat pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia is a serious condition that complicates 5%–10% of pregnancies globally and, together with other hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, is responsible for approximately 14% of maternal deaths every year. Although there is little understanding of what causes pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, treatment with magnesium sulfate has been shown to significantly lower the risk of mortality (by 45%).

Despite its known efficacy, this inexpensive drug is often underused, partly because the diffusion of an innovation takes time, but also because it requires a strong and effective referral system, often a challenge in under-resourced health systems. This Web Forum will present an overview of the approaches used to introduce and scale up magnesium sulfate in Nigeria. The discussion—including both successes and challenges—will highlight the lessons learned from these innovative programs that might inform policy makers and program managers in other countries committed to reducing postpartum hemorrhage and meeting the new Sustainable Development Goals.