The Causes and Prevention of Maternal Mortality in Low and Middle Income Countries: The Role of Ultrasound and The Role of Novel Postpartum Haemorrhage Treatments

Abstract

Maternal mortality continues to represent one of the most pressing global health challenges, disproportionately concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite decades of international initiatives and technological progress, approximately 287,000 women die each year from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for two-thirds of these deaths. These deaths are frequently preventable and arise from a combination of medical, structural, and sociocultural factors. This thesis, The Causes and Prevention of Maternal Mortality in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: The Role of Ultrasound and The Novel Postpartum Haemorrhage Treatments, set out to investigate maternal mortality in LMICs through three main objectives: (i) to examine the causes of maternal mortality in LMICs, particularly Ghana, (ii) to assess the potential role of prenatal ultrasound in reducing maternal mortality and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and (iii) to explore the promise of innovative interventions, specifically chitosan-covered gauze, for the management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).