Disorders such as pre-eclampsia kill an estimated 42,000 women a year; agency flags lack of drugs developed specifically for the condition
By Bunmi Yekini
The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners launched a global roadmap on Tuesday to tackle hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, which the agency says remain among the leading causes of death and serious illness for pregnant women and their babies.
These disorders complicate an estimated 10% to 15% of pregnancies worldwide and account for around 16% of maternal deaths, or about 42,000 deaths each year, WHO said. They are also linked to more than 500,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths annually.
In many countries, women still lack reliable access to basic blood-pressure checks, urine protein testing and essential medicines, including aspirin, antihypertensives and magnesium sulfate, the agency said. Weak referral systems, a shortage of trained health workers and limited emergency obstetric services can delay care further.
“Pre-eclampsia can develop in any pregnancy. Whether it becomes fatal depends on whether a woman’s blood pressure was checked in time, and whether quality emergency care was within reach when it turned severe,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing.
The roadmap, covering 2026 to 2035 and beyond, was launched at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Global Conference. It sets out coordinated action on research and innovation, global clinical guidance, access to medicines and diagnostics, implementation, advocacy and accountability.
WHO said there is a wide innovation gap, with few medicines developed and approved by regulators specifically to prevent or treat pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Research funding has focused mainly on diagnostics, while new preventive and treatment options have been chronically underfunded, it said.
To address this, WHO convened more than 140 partners at a global summit in May 2026 to agree on 20 priority research questions to guide future investment in predicting, detecting and treating the disorders.
The agency said women in low- and middle-income countries are more likely to develop severe complications or die because of gaps in antenatal care, medicines, diagnostics, trained staff and emergency services. Women affected by poverty, humanitarian crises or geographic isolation face particularly high risks, it added.
The effects can last long after birth. Women who have had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy face higher risks of chronic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney disease, WHO said. Their children can face higher risks linked to preterm birth, as well as longer-term cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
WHO called on governments, funders, researchers, health professionals, industry, civil society and development partners to align investment and action so that proven interventions and future innovations reach the women and babies who need them most.