Make sure everyone has access to safe childbirth and vital medicines

Every day, around 800 women and 12,000 new-borns die because of complications with pregnancy and childbirth. If we can figure out the causes and better solutions, more babies could grow up with their mothers.

Maternal health has long been a neglected area of research. There is so much we don’t know; why one miscarriage increases the risk of another, how to reduce the risk of caesarean sections/stillbirths and how to care for women following tears to the body in childbirth. And in developing countries, many women don’t have access to basic healthcare, leading to complications such as pre-eclampsia and heavy bleeding after birth.

Four ways you could help 

Our researchers are focusing on key areas that could make a big difference.

1. Miscarriage: We are addressing the issues that are most important to women and partners who experience miscarriage; why it happened, whether we can prevent it happening again and how to bear it emotionally while moving forward.
2. Managing a key cause of caesareans and stillbirths: Up to a quarter of women develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, meaning they are at a higher risk of developing raised blood pressure. Can diet and physical activity prevent it?
3. Right now, we are analysing whether a major trial to reduce blood loss during labour is saving lives. The trial in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa and Pakistan has been shaped by the views of women, communities and local stakeholders.

Make a donation

Support our global health work, including better maternal health care, improving surgery around the world, tackling infectious diseases and treating cancer, through a gift starting at £5 a month, or get in touch about making a larger gift.