Medicines for Maternal Health

Expanding access to quality, affordable maternal health medicines is critical to making progress in reducing maternal mortality. However, significant challenges often impede such access. Chief among them is a lack of data on the needs, gaps, systems and financing for maternal health medicines.

This report, prepared for the United Nations Commission on Commodities for Women and Children’s Health, provides a review of the current conditions and available evidence on maternal health medicines, specifically Oxytocin and Misoprostol to prevent post-partum haemorrhage and magnesium sulfate, considered the safest, most effective, and lowest-cost medication for treating pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.

The report also includes 11 priority issues for actions

Under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Every Woman Every Child initiative, the Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children advocates at the highest levels for the increased availability, affordability and accessibility of essential but underutilized commodities for maternal and child health.