Background
Despite reforms in Kyrgyzstan’s public health service system, the maternal death rate increased between 2000 and 2009. The most common cause of maternal death in Kyrgyzstan is excessive bleeding after childbirth, also known as postpartum hemorrhage. There are ways of preventing this excessive bleeding, for example by using a method called active management of third stage labour and by performing a compression of the abdominal aorta. Unfortunately, these methods are not always used by the staff at the hospitals’ maternity departments.

About the project
This project was created to improve the management and prevention of severe postpartum hemorrhage at Issyk Atin Territorial Hospital in Kyrgyzstan. The project team trained the staff from the maternity department on a number of methods to prevent excessive bleeding during or after childbirth, such as active management of third stage labour and aorta compression. The staff members were trained to work in teams, with doctors, midwives and health workers, to strengthen their skills and achieve the best results.

Results
By the end of the project, the number of deliveries where active management of third stage labour was used increased from 9,6% to 95,6%. The staff members noticed a decrease of severe postpartum hemorrhage and there was no incident of maternal death caused by excessive bleeding during the project period. The staff at the maternity department now work as one team and utilize each other’s skills and knowledge to prevent severe postpartum hemorrhages at the hospital.

Year 2010