Zambia

"I carried my misoprostol tablets wherever I went. And when I delivered on the road, I swallowed them to prevent the bleeding that has weakened me after my other deliveries." - mother from Kapiri Mposhi.

Three simple tablets, taken immediately after the birth of her baby, are enough to dramatically change the course of childbirth for a mother.

Throughout the developing world too many mothers bleed to death after childbirth, and the generic drug misoprostol can help stem the tide of preventable maternal mortality. In 2006, we began working with partners at the PSI local affiliate, Society for Family Health, to bring these tablets closer to women. In May of 2008, Zambia became only the third country in Africa to register misoprostol for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), and in 2010 a second misoprostol product was registered for PPH and treatment of incomplete abortion and miscarriage.

From January 2009 to February 2010, VSI worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in five districts to pilot the use of misoprostol distributed to pregnant mothers at prenatal care visits to ensure that no matter where a woman delivers, she is protected from excessive bleeding. VSI and the Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability at UC Berkeley conducted an evaluation of the project demonstrating it is a safe, acceptable, feasible and effective strategy for protecting women against PPH in these rural communities. Read about the project results here.

Related publications and resources>

Zambia Dissemination Video, 2010

By the Numbers

Estimated Total Population

12.5 M

Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death

1 woman in 38

Maternal Mortality Ratio

470 per 100,000 live-births

Total Fertility Rate

6.2

Births Attended by Skilled Health Provider

47%

Unmet Need for Family Planning

28%

Source: PRB, 2010 and WHO, 2010