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Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Thandeka Moyo, Health Reporter
THE World Health Organisation has formulated a new drug to prevent excessive bleeding following childbirth that could save thousands of lives.

An average of seven women die while giving birth in Zimbabwe weekly mainly due to hemorrhage.

Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality rate stands at 525 deaths per every 100 000 live births which remains one of the highest in the region.

The World Health Organisation defines maternal mortality as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

WHO director-general says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the new development can revolutionise the organisation’s ability to keep mothers and babies alive.

“A new formulation of a drug to prevent excessive bleeding following childbirth could save thousands of women’s lives in low- and lower-middle-income countries, according to a study led by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with MSD for Mothers and Ferring Pharmaceuticals,” says WHO.

Currently WHO recommends oxytocin as the first-choice drug for preventing excessive bleeding after childbirth.

“Oxytocin, however, must be stored and transported at 2–8 degrees Celsius, which is hard to do, in many countries, depriving many women of access to this lifesaving drug. When they can obtain it, the drug may be less effective because of heat exposure.”

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and shows that the alternative drug – heat-stable carbetocin is safe and effective in saving lives.

“This new formulation of carbetocin does not require refrigeration and retains its efficacy for at least 3 years stored at 30 degrees Celsius and 75 percent relative humidity,” says WHO. – @thamamoe /