Averting mortality from PPH in Africa: moving from research to practice/la prevention de la mortalite due a l'HPP en Afrique: avancee de la recherche a la pratique.

• Tenlastelegging: Postpartum haemorrhage

The conference on preventing postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) was held 4-7 April 2006 in Entebbe, Uganda. It was organised by ACCESS/JHPIEGO (international organisation working to combat maternal and neonatal mortality, including that at community level) in collaboration with POPPHI (Prevention of Postpartum Haemorrhage Initiative).

Twenty-one countries took part in the conference: Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Haiti, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Angola, Malawi, Benin and Mozambique. The number of participants per country varied from two to ten persons. Mali had eight participants.

Objectives

* to prevent PPH during childbirth where skilled attendants are present, i.e. to promote active management of the third stage of labour (AMTSL)

* to prevent PPH during home births where no skilled providers are present

* to improve the treatment of PPH.

Methodology

* Presentations followed by discussion and comments

* Skills laboratories

* PPH marketplace

* Presentation of posters from different countries

* Group work followed by plenary session

* Development of country/action plans

* Panel on the presentation of the policies and prospects of the various partners for preventing PPH.

Organisation of sessions

The opening ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Health, representing the Vice President of Uganda, and was accompanied by a dinner. Because of transport problems, the team from Mali was unable to attend the opening ceremony. The conference proper began on Wednesday, 5th April with presentation of the objectives, agenda and expected results.

During the three days of the conference, the presentations covered:

* The prevention of PPH where skilled providers are present

* The prevention of PPH where no skilled providers are present

* The epidemiology of PPH in Africa

* Active management of the third stage of labour

* A survey of uterotonic drugs

* The joint declaration by FIGO/ICM on the prevention of PPH

* The treatment of PPH

* Support for programmes to prevent maternal mortality due to PPH.

Group work focused on:

* Innovations in the treatment of PPH: promoting and extending AMTSL

* Promotion of community level interventions to prevent PPH

* The management of uterotonic drugs

* Approval of the use of misoprostol for preventing and treating postpartum haemorrhages

* Social mobilisation: how to involve the parties concerned...