WHO reveals drug to save thousands of women from post-childbirth bleeding

macfranc007 June 28, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 David Oladele

- The World Health Organisation has unveiled groundbreaking drug to save thousands of Nigerian women from maternal death

- WHO noted that excessive bleeding after childbirth still kills around 70,000 mothers a year

- The global health agency said even if women could obtain Oxytocin, heat exposure might render the drug less effective

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday, June 27, declared that a new drug carbetocin has the potential to save thousands of women’s lives in childbirth annually.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WHO said carbetocin now serves as a new competition with improved benefits to Oxytocin, a stand-by drug used to prevent potentially-fatal bleeding after childbirth.

WHO said excessive bleeding after childbirth still kills around 70,000 mothers a year and currently, Oxytocin is the first-choice, but it must be kept cold, unlike the new drug, carbetocin.

The study, partly led, among others, by WHO and published on Wednesday, suggested that the new drug which could be stored at normal temperatures, could save the lives of thousands in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

“This is a truly encouraging new development that can revolutionise our ability to keep mothers and babies alive,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

WHO said since Oxytocin must be stored and transported at a cool two to eight degrees Celsius – a difficult task in many countries numerous women lack access to the medicine.

The global health agency said even if women could obtain Oxytocin, heat exposure might render the drug less effective.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has shown the heat-stable carbetocin is not only as safe and effective as oxytocin, but even without refrigeration – when stored at below 30 degrees Celsius and 75 per cent relative humidity – it retains its efficacy for at least three years.

WHO noted that approximately 70,000 women die annually from postpartum haemorrhage – increasing the risk that their babies will also die within a month.

In the largest clinical trial of its kind, close to 30,000 women who gave birth vaginally were studied in Nigeria, Argentina, Egypt, India, Kenya, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda and the United Kingdom.

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Immediately after child birth, each woman was randomly injected with a single dose of either heat-stable Carbetocin or Oxytocin revealing that both were equally effective at preventing excessive bleeding.

Metin Gülmezoglu of WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research, described the report of Carbetocin as “very good news” for millions of women.

“The development of a drug to prevent postpartum haemorrhage that continues to remain effective in hot and humid conditions is very good news for the millions of women who give birth in parts of the world without access to reliable refrigeration.”

While carbetocin has not yet been cleared for use beyond clinical trials, the next steps begin with a regulatory review, countries’ approval and then consideration by WHO’s Guideline Development Group.

Also, WHO said that following the positive trial results, it would be working to advance affordable access to the potentially lifesaving drug in countries with a high maternal death rate.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that the Joint Health Sector Union declared a nationwide indefinite strike.

JOHESU national Chairman, Biobelemoye Josiah during a media briefing in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital on Wednesday, September 20 said the strike would become effective from Thursday, September 21.

Josiah stated that the union on August 14 issued a 30 days ultimatum to the federal government which he said expired on September 13.

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