What We Do
Over 287,000 women lose their lives in pregnancy and childbirth every year, virtually all of whom are in the developing world.
Women are losing their lives to preventable pregnancy-related complications simply because they lack the basic medicines, supplies and skilled care to treat them. Proven, low-cost solutions have the potential to save the lives of women and girls around the world.
VSI is committed to improving the health of women and girls in developing countries by connecting them with life-saving medicines and services where and when they need them most. VSI believes that all women deserve access to affordable health technologies to meet their comprehensive maternal and reproductive health needs. Saving women means stronger families, communities and nations, creating a powerful ripple effect that improves millions of lives worldwide.
Postpartum Hemorrhage
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), or excessive bleeding after childbirth, is the leading cause of maternal death globally. PPH kills a staggering number of mothers each year, most in developing countries where access to life-saving medicines and skilled care is limited and out of reach. Every day, nearly 200 mothers die in childbirth from PPH, yet a simple solution exists.
Due to its tremendous promise to save mothers’ lives, VSI is working to create access to misoprostol, an affordable and effective medicine that can both prevent and treat PPH. VSI’s pioneering efforts with partners to increase access to misoprostol throughout Africa and Asia have brought this life-saving solution to mothers who would otherwise have nothing to protect them from PPH. Learn more...
Unsafe Abortion
Unsafe abortion contributes to the deaths of over 47,000 women and girls each year, approximately 13% of all maternal deaths (WHO, 2011). Uncounted millions more women suffer debilitating illness and infertility. Access to safe, effective and globally endorsed medicines and techniques for providing postabortion care will reduce the burden of maternal death and disability and improve the lives of women and their children.
VSI engages governments and partners to achieve regulatory approval of quality essential medicines like misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortion and miscarriage. Learn more...
Family Planning
Ensuring access to family planning for women is an essential component to ensuring the sustainable health and development of communities worldwide. An estimated 222 million women in developing countries would like to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception (WHO, 2012).
As part of its comprehensive maternal health programs, VSI supports governments and partners to create access to family planning counseling and methods, particularly in postabortion care. VSI connects women with family planning services through provider training and policy development.
More information on VSI’s work in family planning is demonstrated in collaborative demonstration programs in Rwanda and Ethiopia.
