OBJECTIVES: Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) is defined as blood loss of 500 ml or more within 24hr after birth and is the leading cause of maternal mortality, morbidity and long-term disability related to pregnancy and childbirth. WHO has launched an initiative to combat PPH and reduce its contribution to maternal mortality. A targeted literature review (TLR) was conducted to provide an overview of the global economic burden of PPH and understand its key drivers.

METHODS: A focused literature search was conducted in Embase^® and MEDLINE to identify studies evaluating the economic burden of PPH published in last 10 years (2014-2024) in English language. Study selection, data extraction and summary of the findings were performed using Cochrane checklist. The costs were adjusted to 2023 values using cumulative inflation rates in the respective geographics.

RESULTS: Thirty-two unique studies from 36 publications were included. Most of the studies were from Asia (9) and USA (9) followed by Europe (5), Africa (5) and Australia (1). Three studies were international studies. Mean length of stay in hospital (LOS) ranged from 2.4 days (USA) to 4.6 days (Switzerland). The overall 30-day PPH readmission rate was 0.1%, representing $180 million in PPH-related readmission care in USA. In UK, the cost of critical care per hour was £108.98 and cost of LOS per day was £406.22. Blood transfusion was required in 30% patients in both Kenya and Mali. The cost of ICU admission per patient for PPH in India was $167.89. Total cost per patient in Australia was A$2,940.92.

CONCLUSIONS: PPH is associated with a high economic burden globally. The major contributing factors included longer hospital stay or readmissions, and blood transfusion. Thus, addressing PPH effectively will not only improve the maternal health but also has substantial economic benefits in line with WHO drive to avert maternal death due to PPH.