The life-saving balloon: Developing an affordable postpartum hemorrhage treatment to save mothers’ lives

Ghana and Bangladesh: $99,793.00

THE PROBLEM: One out of four maternal deaths worldwide is caused by postpartum hemorrhaging, the single most common cause of maternal mortality and is responsible for the deaths of 100,000 women per year in the developing world.   

THE SOLUTION: Prevent maternal deaths in low-resource settings that lack emergency surgical care through the development of a simple, effective, low-cost balloon tamponade that stops hemorrhaging and controls severe uterine bleeding. 

COST EFFECTIVENESS: PATH and HealthTech will develop an affordable balloon tamponade that costs less than $10, compared to current models used in developed countries that cost between $77 and $312.  

To help close this gap, DIV is supporting the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and Health Tech’s development of a safe, simple balloon tamponade that, at less than $10 per tamponade, would be affordable in the developing world. The tamponade stops hemorrhage and controls uterine bleeding at as much as a 97% reduction in cost.  Across the globe, a woman dies from an uncontrollable postpartum hemorrhage every four minutes. Balloon tamponades can save a woman’s life 76% to 100% of the time, depending on the design. However, with costs ranging from $77 to $312 for a single-use tamponade, they are prohibitively expensive for widespread use in developing countries.  

Balloon tamponades are a high-impact, non-surgical, proven intervention for postpartum hemorrhaging. When a balloon tamponade is inserted into the uterus and filled with water or saline, it can stop bleeding within 10 to 15 minutes.

Postpartum hemorrhaging is responsible for approximately 25% of maternal mortality worldwide, and is higher in developing countries where many women do not have access to a skilled birth attendant.

DIV Stage One funding will allow PATH to initiate technology development. PATH and partners will develop, test, and validate product requirement specifications and a low-cost manufacturing feasibility plan for a safe, effective tamponade device that meets international standards for medical devices. A PATH team will conduct user-based evaluations of the design in Ghana.   These activities will establish a foundation and work plan for the development and scaling of an innovative, affordable technology that will reduce financial barriers to saving the lives of new mothers.

USAID Administrator Raj Shah announced the launch of the new grant in Seattle on October 18th, to an audience of over 100 at PATH headquarters. Read the full USAID press release here and the PATH announcement here.

"I applaud USAID for this lifesaving investment in innovation," said U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). "Investing in global health improves lives across the world and prevents millions of needless deaths. Washington state has long been a leader in the discovery, development and delivery efforts and I'm proud to see PATH once again leading the charge in making a difference."

“Washington state is a center for innovation, and PATH proves that the way forward in global health development is with innovative and cost-effective solutions,” said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “I applaud USAID for investing in PATH's innovative work improving maternal health worldwide and expanding access to life-saving technologies in rural areas.”

“PATH's creative designers understand global health from the developing world's perspective, and have a track record of designing culturally sensitive, life-saving products,” said Representative Jim McDermott (D WA-7). “USAID investment in these two new projects is money well spent in furthering its mission.”