ArticleBMJ open2021
Access to oxytocin and misoprostol for management of postpartum haemorrhage in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia: a cross-sectional assessment of availability, prices and affordability.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Misoprostol Versus Oxytocin for the Prevention of Postpartum Haemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Including Individual Participant Data.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2025Pooled it
- Availability, cost, and budget impact of lifesaving postpartum hemorrhage interventions in public hospitals in Zambia: A cross-sectional survey.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Article
- Enhancing maternal health in Zambia: a comprehensive approach to addressing postpartum hemorrhage.Frontiers in global women's health · 2024Article
- Quality of care for postpartum hemorrhage: A direct observation study in referral hospitals in Kenya.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Assessing the performance of local pharmaceutical systems: An analytical approach to improve access to medicine.The journal of medicine accessReview
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess access (availability and affordability) to oxytocin and misoprostol at health facilities in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia to improve prevention and management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).
designThe assessment was undertaken using data from Health Action International (HAI) research on sexual and reproductive health commodities based on a cross-sectional design adapted from the standardised WHO/HAI methodology.
settingData were collected from 376 health facilities in in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia in July and August 2017. OUTCOME MEASURES: Availability was calculated as mean percentage of sampled medicine outlets where medicine was found on the day of data collection. Medicine prices were compared with international reference prices (IRP) and expressed as median price ratios. Affordability was calculated using number of days required to pay for a standard treatment based on the daily income of the lowest paid government worker.
resultsAvailability of either oxytocin or misoprostol at health facilities was high; 81% in Kenya, 82% in Uganda and 76% in Zambia. Oxytocin was more available than misoprostol, and it was most available in the public sector in the three countries. Availability of misoprostol was highest in the public sector in Uganda (88%). Oxytocin and misoprostol were purchased by patients at prices above IRP, but both medicines cost less than a day's wages and were therefore affordable. Availability of misoprostol was poor in rural settings where it would be more preferred due to lack of trained personnel and cold storage facilities required for oxytocin.
conclusionAvailability and affordability of either oxytocin or misoprostol at health facilities met the WHO benchmark of 80%. However, countries with limited resources should explore mechanisms to optimise management of PPH by improving access to misoprostol especially in rural areas.
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