A review of postpartum hemorrhage in low-income countries and implications for strengthening health systems

Abstract

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Disparities in PPH-associated survival between high and low-/middle-income countries reflect an imperative for low-resource countries to improve strategies for rapid diagnosis and treatment. A review of current PPH diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and access to care in low-income countries has been used to understand, extract, and report the challenges that public health systems face in trying to solve the marked global disparity in PPH outcomes. Improvement in PPH survival begins with holistic strengthening of each step along the continuum of care in health systems and should include performance feedback measures and quality-of-care research.

Keywords: implementation science research; postpartum hemorrhage; prevention; public health; treatment.