Women lose a large amount of blood during pregnancy and childbirth.

In a recent article published by FIGO, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The World Health Organization (WHO) is making an attempt to further reduce maternal mortality rates by providing better access to safe blood. WHO is targeting this call to governments to improve access to safer and cleaner blood. During pregnancy, after pregnancy and during childbirth, severe bleeding is the world’s leading cause of maternal deaths. This severe bleeding can unfortunately kill a healthy woman in as little as two hours, unless she receives appropriate careas soon as possible.

The World Health Organization is taking action to make sure that these child bearing women receive clean blood transfusionsto keep them healthy.

With increasing the access to safe blood, a large number of women’s lives could be saved with the help of blood transfusions. However, in order to have a blood transfusion, there needs to be access to safe blood for the doctors to use and this is where the problem lies.  According to WHO director, Dr. Margaret Chan, “If all facilities provided safe blood for transfusion, many of these mother’s lives could be saved.” This being said, there is still a major need and shortage for safe blood to provide to patients. This continues to prove to be the main contributor to high maternal mortality in many countries.

Many hope that World Blood Donor Day will draw attention to issues surrounding blood supplies to women who are in desperate need of healthy, clean blood. It will be marked as a global event in Colombo, Sri Lanka in order to raise awareness in other countries.