We are delighted to share that the initial results from the ground-breaking E-MOTIVE clinical trial have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2303966), showing a phenomenal effect on women’s risk of dangerous blood loss or death after giving birth.
The Gender Equality network researchers, Prof Arri Coomarasamy and Dr Adam Devall were part of the leadership team of the project and the project gained funding from the network at the design phase to develop a trial to rapidly identify & address postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). PPH is the biggest cause of maternal deaths worldwide and which affects hundreds of thousands of women. The Gates Foundation funded trial included over 210,000 women in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania and the results have been astounding. The team were hoping to see a 25% lower rates of severe PPH (blood loss 1 litre or more) and death, but rates actually reduced by 60%. When scaled up, E-MOTIVE could save a woman’s life every half an hour, every day, somewhere in the world.
Last month study lead, Professor Coomarasamy, presented the results at the International Maternal & Newborn Health Conference in Cape Town to a global audience including the World Health Organisation, World Bank, multiple UN agencies, researchers, and policymakers. This week’s publication, reports the headline outcomes of the trial, but this work has also led to an international meeting (supported by the IGI and funded by Gates Foundation) to bring together international experts on PPH. The meeting took place at the University of Birmingham’s Dubai campus in March synthesise the lates evidence and make recommendations for best practice in the treatment and management of PPH in a range of clinical setting, which will lead to future publications and impact on WHO guidelines.
Congratulations to the whole team!
