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Health experts gather today on Parliament Hill to discuss the leading killer of women during childbirth: Post-Partum Hemorrhage

OTTAWA (November 3, 2008) - Health experts, politicians and NGOs will gather today on Parliament Hill for a round table forum exploring strategies to prevent and to treat post-partum hemorrhage – the leading cause of death among the more than half-million women who die during childbirth each year. This event is organized by the International Women’s Health Program of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, and is hosted by Senator Lucie Pépin. The round table will feature international health experts who will present the latest information on low-cost interventions which have proven effective in saving women’s lives. Since 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries, a review of global health and program implementation strategies is needed.

“Here in Canada, it is very easy to take childbirth for granted,” said Dr. André Lalonde, Executive Vice-President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. “It’s very easy to forget that in much of the world, childbirth still carries serious risks for the mother and baby.”

Existing strategies have been unsuccessful in reducing the number of deaths during childbirth. Complications such as post-partum hemorrhage require immediate treatment, treatment that is only possible if emergency obstetric care is available. In developed countries, such as Canada, this care is available and complications such as post-partum hemorrhage are routinely managed and treated on a daily basis. In Canada, women face only a one in 3,750 risk of dying during childbirth. For developing countries, however, where the majority of women give birth without a skilled attendant, emergency care for complications during childbirth is available only to a very small percentage of women. When a woman becomes pregnant in a low-resource country, she faces a much greater risk of dying during childbirth: one in 60. In some countries, such as Ethiopia, the risk is even greater: women face a one in 7 risk of dying during childbirth.

The ‘Wake-up call for Safe Motherhood’ event on Parliament Hill aims to break this silence and group together efforts by NGO’s, the medical community and policy makers, in hopes of accelerating the process of change and bringing reasonable effective solutions that will save women’s lives around the world.

The guest speakers at today’s round table forum will present a new approach to save the lives of women during childbirth. Since every pregnancy faces risk, their focus is on providing low-cost, effective strategies to treat post-partum hemorrhage in countries where emergency obstetric care is not available. The speakers will show that, for even as low as 15 cents per woman, sound interventions could be used to prevent women from dying while giving life. These solutions exist and can be implemented now. Millions of lives could be saved if we act today.

Guest Speakers:

• Deborah Armbruster, Director of the Prevention of Post-Partum Hemorrhage Initiative
• Jill Durocher, Program Research Coordinator of Gynuity Health Projects
• Dr. André Lalonde, Executive Vice-President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
• Bridget Lynch, President of the International Confederation of Midwives

Host:

• The Honourable Lucie Pépin, Canadian Senator and corresponding member of SOGC’s Executive Council
  

Media Contact:

Christine Butt
Media Relations, International Women’s Health Program
Tel: (800) 561-2416 ext. 236
Cell: 819-661-0788
cbutt@sogc.com

About the International Women’s Health Program:

Since 1998, the International Women’s Health program has conducted medical training and capacity building interventions around the world, involving the participation of volunteering Canadian doctors, nurses, midwives and other health professionals. The main focus of these interventions is to strengthen the ability of local health care centres and professionals to provide emergency obstetrical care to women. The program also aims to promote safe pregnancy and childbirth worldwide, and develops partnerships with local medical professional associations, enabling them to take a leadership role in improving women’s health in their countries. The International Women’s Health Program is an initiative of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC).
For more information about the International Health Program, please visit our website at http://iwhp.sogc.org.

Last Updated November 3, 2008