Join the Preeclampsia Foundation, the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy, and our other partners are we recognize the impact of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on a global scale.

The HDPs complicate 8-10% of pregnancies worldwide.¹

The HDPs are a leading cause of maternal and infant death, worldwide. In absolute terms, this means approximately 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths every year.²  As a proportion, the HDPs are responsible for an estimated 16% of maternal deaths in LMICs⁷, and specifically, a quarter of maternal deaths in Latin America⁶ and a tenth of maternal deaths in Africa and Asia.⁵

Maternal deaths related to the HDPs are preventable.

The HDPs are also a leading cause of maternal and infant illness. Preeclampsia is a common cause of caregiver-initiated preterm delivery and accounts for approximately 20% of all intensive care unit admissions of newborn babies³. For the mother, complications of the HDPs can cause complications with long-lasting sequelae, such as stroke, and the HDPs are strongly associated with a heightened risk of future risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading non-communicable disease (NCD), worldwide.⁴

The WHO has highlighted that the NCDs, like the HDPs, have a disproportionately high impact in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs)⁵, where more than 99% of preeclampsia cases occur.⁶

Too many lives are taken or seriously affected by these disorders and the NCDs that result from them, underscoring the importance of detection and prevention, symptom recognition, and timely and effective response by trained healthcare workers. This is especially true in countries where access to care is limited.⁸ With no known cause, the need for basic and clinical research to advance our medical understanding and healthcare practices must be prioritized.

We support all efforts that:

• Call upon governments and health systems to recognize the importance of detecting and diagnosing risk factors, and preventing and treating the HDPs and related NCDs;
• Encourage additional research funding into preeclampsia and related disorders;
• Prioritize patient and community education and treatment for these disorders;
• Prioritize education, training, and access to medical resources for healthcare providers;
• Address prevention through a better understanding of the causes and through access to appropriate, safe, and effective treatments;
• Encourage collaboration and partnerships between public and private sector organizations to support and advance these goals.

Working individually and in partnership, we must continue to shine a strong light on HDP and related NCDs to ensure that they are minimized and their tragic impact reduced.

The opportunity to reduce the prevalence of these disorders and their impact on women, infants, families, and communities worldwide is within our grasp.