Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is responsible for about 100,000 maternal deaths every year, almost all of which occur in low and middle income countries. When given within three hours of birth, tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in women with PPH by almost one third. However, for many women, treatment of PPH is too late to prevent death and severe morbidities. Over one-third of pregnant women in the world are anaemic and many are severely anaemic.

We are now doing the WOMAN-2 trial to see if giving tranexamic acid can prevent PPH and other severe outcomes in women with moderate and severe anaemia.