Maternal mortality dropping but still unacceptably high - new estimates
16 May 2012 - WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and The World Bank issue new global, regional and country estimates of maternal mortality. Although between 1990 and 2010, maternal mortality worldwide dropped by 47%, still every day, around 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Almost all of these deaths occurr in low-resource settings. The updated estimates use available national data on maternal mortality to characterize levels and trends of maternal mortality for 180 countries. This analysis involves a larger dataset than previous rounds and updates estimates for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010.
Born too soon: first report on preterm birth
2 May 2012 - Every year 15 million babies are born preterm (more than 1 in 10 live births); more than 1 million die due to preterm complications. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths and the second leading cause of death in children under 5, after pneumonia. Two thirds of the more than 1 million babies who die annually as a result of being born too soon could be saved if current cost-effective interventions were made available to all. This first-ever report on preterm birth is a joint effort of almost 50 international, regional and national organizations, and the estimates of preterm birth levels and trends presented reflect the collaborative work of WHO/RHR/HRP, Save the Children, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Pre-procedure use of misoprostol reduces complications of early surgical abortion
8 March 2012 - Findings from a study by HRP and partners show that women who have their cervixes dilated with misoprostol in preparation for early surgical abortion have a significantly lower overall risk of a complication from the procedure than those receiving placebo. The decrease in complications was primarily that of incomplete abortion, but there was also a reduction in unscheduled clinic visits and hospital admissions after the procedure. When induced abortion is performed by qualified persons using correct techniques and in sanitary conditions complications are rare.
Assisted vaginal delivery device highlighted at World Health Assembly
The WHO Director General, Dr Margaret Chan, highlighted in a speech to the 65th World Health Assembly the new device for assisted vaginal deliveries (The Odon Device) developed by RHR/HRP and partners as a potential solution for prolonged second-stage of labour. Prolonged and obstructed labour are the cause of millions of maternal and perinatal deaths and long-term disabilities around the world every year. This low-cost, simplified device has the potential of reducing the burden of these conditions by enabling safer and easier assisted vaginal births. The device is currently being tested in multicountry clinical trials coordinated by HRP. Dr Chan also highlighted the innovative work on the safe childbirth checklist.
