By The PPH Foundation

As global temperatures rise, extreme heat is emerging as a silent but serious threat to maternal health, with growing implications for postpartum haemorrhage. In Kenya and across many low- and middle-income countries, prolonged heatwaves are no longer isolated events, and their impact on pregnant and postpartum women is becoming harder to ignore.

High temperatures increase the risk of dehydration during pregnancy and labour. When a woman is dehydrated, blood volume reduces, circulation weakens and the body’s ability to compensate for blood loss during childbirth is significantly impaired. In cases of postpartum haemorrhage, where minutes matter, this reduced physiological reserve can quickly turn bleeding into a life-threatening emergency.

Heat exposure is also closely linked to maternal anaemia. Excessive sweating, reduced appetite during hot periods and limited access to clean drinking water contribute to nutritional deficiencies that lower haemoglobin levels. Prof Moses Obimbo has previously noted that anaemia remains one of the most dangerous underlying conditions in PPH, making even moderate blood loss potentially fatal. Rising temperatures deepen this risk, particularly for women in informal settlements and arid regions.

Extreme heat further strains already overstretched health systems. Hot conditions affect both mothers and health workers, leading to fatigue, slower response times and reduced efficiency during high-pressure emergencies such as PPH management. Dr Kireki Omanwa has emphasised that preparedness is not only about equipment, but also about ensuring working conditions allow providers to perform optimally when saving lives.

Blood access, a critical pillar in PPH response, is also affected by heat. High temperatures complicate blood storage and transport, especially in facilities with unreliable electricity or cooling systems. Prof Julius Ogeng’o has underscored that maintaining a safe and consistent blood supply is essential, yet climate-related heat threatens this lifeline in many high-burden settings.

According to Dr Eunice Atsali, heat-related stress during labour can delay early detection of complications. Fatigue and discomfort may mask early warning signs of excessive bleeding, delaying escalation of care. Prof Ann Beatrice Kihara adds that data-driven planning is essential to understand how rising temperatures intersect with maternal outcomes and to guide climate-adaptive health policies.

As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, protecting mothers from postpartum haemorrhage requires recognising extreme heat as a risk amplifier. Cooling measures, hydration, strengthened blood systems and climate-smart facility planning must now be seen as part of maternal health preparedness. Addressing heat is no longer an environmental issue alone, it is a matter of saving mothers’ lives.

Sources
World Health Organization, Climate Change and Health
WHO Recommendations for the Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Haemorrhage
UNFPA, Maternal Health and Environmental Stressors
PPH Foundation programme experience and expert inputs

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