Prevention and Treatment of Eclampsia and Pre-eclampsia

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A pregnant woman sits by the window
Photo credit: Amy Fowler/USAID
Causes of maternal death in the world by percentage

Graphic of a chart.<br /> Severe bleeding 27%<br /> Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure 14%<br /> Infections 11%<br /> Obstructed labor and other 9%<br /> Abortion complications 8%<br /> Blood clots/embolism 3%<br /> Pre-existing conditions 28%

Note: Estimates are rounded, and therefore may not sum to 100%.
Source: Say L et al. Global causes of maternal death, 2014.

Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E), also known as pregnancy induced high blood pressure, cause 14 percent of maternal deaths, making them one of the main drivers of maternal mortality. As part of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) effort to end preventable maternal deaths, this award was developed to expand access to high impact interventions and specifically target this important cause of mortality.

The strategic objective of the project to prevent and treat pre-eclampsia and eclampsia is to improve the early detection and management of PE/E, including by increasing the use of magnesium sulfate, an underutilized priority commodity for reproductive maternal, newborn and child health. To achieve this objective, Population Council plans to:

  1. Significantly expand services in three countries for detecting and managing pregnant women at risk of PE/E through the increase of magnesium sulfate awareness, access and use beginning in the first year of the project.
  2. Promote introductory and scale-up strategies in three to four countries for these interventions, which will be designed with policy and health system analyses beginning in the third year of the project.
  3. Share lessons learned in national, regional, and global knowledge management platforms to inform strategies for introducing and scaling up PE/E interventions.

This project extends from August 2014 to August 2019 and is being implemented by Population Council.