How a Small Vitamin Pill Could Save Mothers' Lives Around the World

Every two minutes, a woman somewhere in the world dies while giving birth or from problems linked to pregnancy. Most of these deaths happen in poorer countries in Africa and Asia. Now, health experts say a small, cheap vitamin pill taken during pregnancy could help stop thousands of these deaths each year.

One of the biggest hidden causes of these deaths is a condition called anaemia. Anaemia happens when the blood does not carry enough oxygen around the body. It makes women weaker and less able to survive heavy bleeding after giving birth, which doctors call postpartum haemorrhage, or PPH. PPH is the number one cause of mothers dying during or after childbirth around the world.

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that anaemia could be responsible for half of the most serious cases of PPH in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Despite this, anaemia does not get much attention in health programmes. For decades, doctors have given pregnant women the same basic tablet — iron and folic acid — to help prevent it. But many experts now say that is not enough.

The problem is that there are actually six different types of nutritional anaemia, not just one. Iron tablets only address part of the issue. Because of this, anaemia rates have barely improved over the years. Many health experts believe the answer is a different kind of supplement called multiple micronutrient supplements, or MMS. These pills contain iron and folic acid, plus 13 other vitamins and minerals that pregnant women need.

Studies show that MMS can make a big difference. The World Health Organization says MMS reduces anaemia in pregnant women by 12 percent more than iron and folic acid alone. A study published in a major medical journal estimated that switching to MMS in 25 lower-income countries could prevent 3.5 million babies from being born dangerously underweight and stop 186,000 stillbirths over five years. Research also suggests MMS may help babies grow bigger, healthier brains and reduce stunted growth that can last into adulthood.

One of the most exciting things about MMS is how affordable it is. Providing a full supply of MMS for one pregnant woman often costs as little as $2, or about £1.50. Dr. Martin Mwangi, a health expert at the Micronutrient Forum, says the benefits are huge compared to that small cost. He says organisations like his strongly support the widespread use of MMS for the good it can do for women everywhere.

MMS has actually been around since the 1990s, but it used to be more expensive to make. Better technology has now brought the price down a lot. Governments are starting to act. In May, the health ministers of Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Pakistan all promised to add MMS to their national pregnancy health programmes. More than 30 other countries are also looking into using it.

Sierra Leone is one of the countries leading the way. More than half of pregnant women there are estimated to be anaemic. Feimata Russell, a nutrition officer at Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health, says the switch to MMS made perfect sense because people there often do not get enough variety in their food. A working group found that infant deaths dropped by almost 30 percent in the first six months for babies born to anaemic mothers who took MMS.

Health workers in Sierra Leone have reported seeing fewer cases of anaemia and pregnancy complications since the programme started. One official, Umu Alfa Jaloh from the humanitarian group Helen Keller International, says the results are easy to see. "The babies have this pinkish skin that is really attractive to the mothers," she says. When neighbours see these healthy babies, other women become excited to take MMS too.

Sierra Leone has also shared what it has learned with other countries, with officials from Kenya and Cambodia visiting to study how the programme works. One key lesson has been to involve whole communities from the very beginning — including health workers, religious leaders, traditional healers, and women's groups. Russell reminds people that MMS is not a cure on its own and works best alongside good medical care and a healthy diet. But as a low-cost step that any country can take, experts say it could save countless lives.