On 20 May, Clinical Trials Day (ICTD), we celebrate the trailblazers among us who are making an impact through their research. Trailblazers are those who power the advancement of human health and make medical breakthroughs possible.
To mark CTD, we’re thrilled to share our film “Making childbirth safer for at-risk mothers”, as part of the Healthier Together series presented by the WHO Foundation and produced by BBC StoryWorks.
In this film, our trailblazer Professor Nike Bello – gynaecologist and obstetrician at UCH Ibadan and head of the WOMAN-2 Trial in Nigeria – talks about her research to make childbirth safer.
A safe childbirth should be guaranteed for every woman – yet in lower-income countries, significant blood loss after birth is the leading cause of maternal deaths.
This is exacerbated by anaemia, which greatly increases the risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Anaemia is endemic in Nigeria due to poor nutrition, heavy menstruation and malaria, among other things. Despite being easily prevented, detected and treated, most women give birth without knowing they are anaemic or understanding the associated risks to themselves and their babies.
As Professor Bello says in the film: “Anaemia increases the risk of postpartum haemorrhage… it brings you to the point of delivery already at a disadvantage.”
Please watch and share our film and help us celebrate the trailblazers among like us Professor Bello who work tirelessly in the pursuit of knowledge and to improve healthcare for us all.
As she says: “I would like that my life’s work in research has been useful, that the trials I take part in give the kind of results that show up in saving women’s lives and making pregnancy and delivery a better experience.”