New Guidelines Aim to Reduce Postpartum Hemorrhage Deaths

Leading reproductive health agencies released landmark new guidelines today, calling for a major shift in how postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is prevented, diagnosed, and treated. The recommendations highlight the urgent need for earlier detection and faster intervention – steps that could save tens of thousands of women each year.

PPH, defined as excessive bleeding after childbirth, affects millions of women annually and causes nearly 45,000 deaths, making it a leading cause of maternal mortality globally.Even when not fatal, it can lead to lifelong physical and mental health impacts, from major organ damage to hysterectomies, anxiety, and trauma.

Postpartum hemorrhage is the most dangerous childbirth complication since it can escalate with such alarming speed. While it is not always predictable, deaths are preventable with the right care. These guidelines are designed to maximize impact where the burden is highest and resources are most limited – helping ensure more women survive childbirth and can return home safely to their families.

Dr. Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General for health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care

New Diagnostic Criteria for Rapid Action

Published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the guidelines introduce new objective diagnostic criteria for detecting PPH, based on the largest study on the topic to date – also published today in The Lancet.

Many PPH cases occur without identifiable risk factors, meaning early detection and rapid response is critical. Yet in many settings, especially where healthcare resources and labor wards are overstretched, delays in treatment result in devastating consequences.