Ensuring Quality-Assured Medicines for Maternal Health Care: A Call to Action for Parliaments

Strategic Insights -

High-quality medicines are critical for saving the lives of pregnant women and their newborn babies. Unfortunately, a substantial proportion of medicines for maternal health care are substandard, including those used to manage postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), the leading cause of maternal death. In many countries, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, healthcare providers cannot trust the effectiveness of medicines they depend on. Senator Oral Ataniyazova of Uzbekistan and member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Committee on Health, and Professor Tari Turner, Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) of the UN's Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP), discuss the importance of prioritizing quality-assured medicines for maternal health and the actions parliaments can take to address this critical issue.

Key Takeaways:

  • The IPU has led the way in getting parliaments involved in health for the past 20 years, focusing on ensuring access to health services and making health outcomes fairer for all.
  • Maternal death rates are stagnating in many places, and stronger laws and regulation can make a real difference in promoting access to quality-assured medicines.
  • Parliamentarians have the power to break the cycle of maternal death by ensuring quality-assured medicines, which is not just about saving lives but also driving progress across health, equity, and development.
  • The IPU Committee on Health provides a platform for promoting parliamentary strategies for safe motherhood at the global level.
  • Scientists and researchers play a vital role in helping parliamentarians make informed decisions on complex issues like access to quality-assured medicines.
  • Collaboration between technical experts, parliamentarians, and community voices is crucial to bridge the gap between data, people, and policy.
  • Success would mean that legislation is revised to strengthen medication regulation, health budgets protect maternal health, governments procure the right medicines in the right volumes, and parliamentarians work across party lines to demand action.

Statistics:

  • A substantial proportion of medicines for maternal health care are substandard, including those used to manage PPH.
  • 20 years of IPU's leading role in getting parliaments involved in health.
  • Maternal death rates are stagnating in many places.
  • Stronger laws and regulation can make a real difference in promoting access to quality-assured medicines.
  • 5 years forward: Revised legislation, increased health budgets, correct medicine procurement, and parliamentarians' collective action on maternal health.

Sources:

  • World Health Organisation
  • Senator Oral Ataniyazova of Uzbekistan and member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Committee on Health
  • Professor Tari Turner, Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) of the UN's Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP)
  • IPU Committee on Health
  • World Health Organization (WHO)