Global health agencies issue new recommendations to end death from postpartum bleeding

Through Landmark, new guidelines published today, the leading reproductive health agencies call for a major shift in the way he is prevented, diagnosed and treated after the bleeding (PPH) birth (PPH). Recommendations emphasize an urgent need for earlier detection and faster intervention – steps that could save the lives of tens of thousands of women each year.

Defined as excessive bleeding after childbirth, PPH annually affects millions of women and causes almost 45,000 deaths, making it one of the leading causes of mother mortality globally. Even when it is not fatal, it can lead to life impacts of physical and mental health, from greater organs to hysterectomy, anxiety and trauma.

“Postpartum is the most dangerous complication of childbirth, as it can escalate at such alarming speed. Although this is not always predictable, death can be prevented with right -wing care,” said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. “These guidelines are designed to maximize the influence where the burden is the biggest, and the resources are the most limited – help ensure more women to survive childbirth and can safely return home to their families.”

New diagnostic criteria for fast action

Published by the World Health Organization (WHO), international federation of gynecology and accusation (FIGO) and international midwifery (ICM) confederation (ICM), guidelines are entered by new objective diagnostic criteria for detecting PPH on the basis of The largest study On the topic to this day – also published today in Lancet.

Many cases of PPH occur without recognizable risk factors, which means Early detection and quick response is critical. However, in many environments, especially where health care resources and work departments are overrated, delays in treatment result in devastating consequences.

Usually PPH is diagnosed as a loss of blood of 500 ml or more. Now clinicists are also advised to act when blood loss reaches 300 ml, and all abnormal vital signs have been observed. In order to diagnose PPH, doctors and midwives are advised to closely monitor women after birth and use calibrated curtains – simple devices collecting and accurately quantified blood – so that they can act as soon as the criteria are filled.

Guidelines recommend directly scheduling Motive actions after PPH has been diagnosed. This includes:

• MAssage of thertus;
• ONXytocytic drugs to stimulate contractions;
• TRanexamic acid (txa) to reduce bleeding;
• Intravenous fluids;
• VExamination of the agile and genital tract; and
• EThe scale of care if the bleeding still exists.

In rare cases where bleeding continues, guidelines recommend effective interventions such as surgery or blood transfusion to safely stabilize a female condition until further treatment becomes available.

“Women affected by PPH needs care that is fast, feasible, effective and triggers progress in removing the deaths associated with PPH,” said Professor Anne Beatrice Kihara, president of Figo. “These guidelines have a proactive approach to willingness, recognition and response. They are designed to ensure influence in the real world-resource of health workers to provide right care, at the right time and in a wide range of context.”

Reduction of risk by effective prevention

The guidelines emphasize the importance of good antennatal and postnatal care to relieve critical risk factors such as anemia, which is very widespread in low and lower -medium -lower revenue countries. Anemia increases the likelihood of PPH -Ai exacerbates the outcomes if it happens. Recommendations for anemic mothers include oral iron and folate daily during pregnancy and intravenous iron transfusion when a quick correction is required, including after PPH or, if oral therapy fails.

The publication also discourages uncertain practices such as routine episiotomy, at the same time promoting preventative techniques such as perineal massage in late pregnancy, to reduce the likelihood of trauma and severe bleeding after birth.

During the third phase of childbirth, guidelines recommend managing the maternal secured quality to support the uterine contraction, preferably oxytocin or thermally stable carbetecin as an alternative. If intravenous options are not available and the cold chain unreliable, Misoprostol can be used as an extreme agent.

“The grandmothers know first-hand that quickly after the birth of bleeding can escalate and cost lives,” said Professor Jacqueline Duncley-Bent Both, ICM's main grandmother. “These guidelines are a game exchanger. But in order to stop death from PPH, we need more than evidence and protocol. We invite governments, health systems, donors and partners to reinforce, adopt these recommendations, quickly adopt them and invest in midwives and care for mothers so that it becomes a trace of childbirth.

Guidelines are accompanied by a package of training and implementation resources, developed with partners, including UNFPA. These tools consist of practical modules for healthcare professionals in the first place, a national guide at the national level for the introduction of new practices and training based on simulation to strengthen the reaction in an emergency.

These consolidated guidelines – the first to focus uniquely on the PPH – launched at the Figo 2025 World Congress in Cape Town in South Africa. They are a key step in implementing Global folder path to fight childbirth after childbirth Between 2023 and 2030.

Notes for editors

The guidelines contain 51 recommendations, design existing and new recommendations based on evidence relevant to prevent, diagnose and treat PPH.

AND A new study From the WHO -AI Special UN -Ao Program Human Play (HP) on Diagnostic accuracy of serious bleeding indicators after childbirth that included over 300,000 women in 23 countries was also published today in Lancet:

Gallos I, Williams Cr, Price MJ, Tobias a, Devall A, Allotey J and Sur. Prognostic accuracy of clinical markers of bleeding after childbirth in predicting a mother's mortality or severe morbidity: meta-analysis of data that individually participants. Lancet. 2025. (https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(25)01639-3).

The commentary on the guidelines has been published today in the Lancet Global Health: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langloglo/article/piis2214-109x(25)00404-8/FULLTEXT

The funding of the guidelines is provided through the Gates Foundation.