Maternal health
Changing Policy and Practice
Professor Andrew Shennan from King’s College London has conducted research into pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy-relation condition which causes high blood pressure and organ damage.
Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related condition which causes high blood pressure and organ damage. It is a leading cause of mother and baby death globally. Deaths can be avoidable if the condition is detected in time for the baby to be delivered.
Professor Andrew Shennan and his team conducted research into pre-eclampsia in India and Zambia. They found that early birth reduced the risk of severe illness caused by pre-eclampsia, and the chance of infant death, by 75 per cent.
Shennan's team also held policy labs in Zambia and Sierra Leone, engaging key individuals from government, healthcare and community settings, to design strategies to share key information about pre-eclampsia with women. These included creation of a docu-film, screened at community ‘pop-up’ cinemas, a student film competition, a national media campaign, and distribution of education materials.
Shennan plans to use this funding to influence policy in government, healthcare and community settings, and to share key information about pre-eclampsia with women through documentary films and other educational materials across India and Zambia.