By The PPH Foundation

Postpartum haemorrhage places immense pressure on health systems, consuming scarce blood supplies, surgical capacity, and skilled personnel. Yet many of the conditions that increase PPH risk are preventable. Cervical disease, when detected early through screening, can be managed in ways that reduce obstetric complications and the likelihood of excessive bleeding at birth.

Health systems that underinvest in screening often pay a higher price in emergency obstetric care. Prolonged labour, surgical delivery, and uncontrolled bleeding are significantly more costly than preventive screening integrated into maternal health services. Evidence shows that prevention-focused systems experience fewer obstetric emergencies and better maternal outcomes.

Prof Moses Obimbo, Project Lead of the End Postpartum Haemorrhage Initiative, states that “PPH prevention begins long before delivery. Screening is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce emergency bleeding and protect women’s lives.” Through collaboration between the PPH Foundation, the University of Nairobi, the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, and the Midwives Association of Kenya, the End PPH Initiative is advancing the case for integrated financing that recognises screening as a maternal health priority.

Investing in cervical screening is therefore not only a cancer control strategy but a practical, evidence-based approach to reducing postpartum haemorrhage.

Sources
World Health Organization, Cost-effectiveness of cervical screening
World Bank, Investing in maternal health systems
BMC Women’s Health, Health system benefits of early detection

<a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/portrait-african-american-person-with-pregnancy_20563288.htm">Image by DC Studio on Freepik</a>