By PPH Foundation

Did you know, conversations around water often focus on availability and access? Yet the safety and quality of water sources remain equally important, particularly in rural communities where agriculture and livestock activities play a central role in daily life. While farming sustains livelihoods and food systems, it can also contribute to water contamination that ultimately affects maternal health outcomes, including Postpartum Haemorrhage.

Agricultural runoff often carries fertilizers, pesticide residues, soil sediments, and livestock waste into rivers, streams, and shallow wells. These contaminants do not only affect ecosystems, they can also have direct health consequences for pregnant women. Some pesticides and agricultural chemicals have been linked to disruptions in the body’s hormonal systems and may affect liver function and blood clotting mechanisms. During childbirth, the body depends on effective blood clotting to control bleeding after delivery. When these processes are impaired, the risk of excessive bleeding increases.

According to the World Health Organization, exposure to contaminated water and environmental pollutants has been associated with infections, anemia, and other health complications in pregnant women. Anemia in particular remains a major contributor to maternal deaths because women with low blood levels are less able to survive severe bleeding during childbirth.

Livestock activities can also contribute to the problem. In many rural communities, animals share water sources with households, allowing animal waste to contaminate rivers and ponds. This increases microbial contamination and the spread of waterborne infections that can weaken women during pregnancy and increase the risk of complications at delivery.

Within health systems, safe water remains essential for maternal care. Health facilities depend on clean water for infection prevention, sterilization of equipment, and the safe management of childbirth. When severe bleeding occurs during delivery, known as postpartum haemorrhage, a clean clinical environment is critical for effective emergency care.

Professor Julius Ogengo, Co-Lead of the End Postpartum Haemorrhage Initiative and an environmental champion, notes that environmental conditions in communities can significantly influence maternal health outcomes.

“Maternal health does not exist in isolation from the environments in which families live. When agricultural runoff and livestock waste contaminate water sources, communities are exposed to infections and diseases that can weaken women before or during pregnancy. Protecting water sources is therefore part of strengthening the entire system that supports safe motherhood,” he explains.

Reducing agricultural water pollution requires improved farming practices, responsible pesticide use, soil conservation measures, and protection of community water sources from livestock contamination. These efforts not only safeguard ecosystems but also contribute to healthier pregnancies, safer childbirth, and stronger communities.

Sources
World Health Organization, Drinking Water and Health Reports
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Global Water Use and Agriculture Reports
UN Water Global Water Quality Assessment Reports
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