Medicines for Mothers: Guinea Health Ministry Acts to Improve Oxytocin Quality and Access

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The Guinea government and GHSC-PSM are working to save mothers’ lives by ensuring oxytocin is kept cold. This key medicine is the recommended drug for treating hemorrhage during and after childbirth, a leading cause of maternal death. Through workshops and policy change, supply chain staff are handling oxytocin in ways that will maintain its effectiveness. 

Following this workshop with MOH staff and other health and supply chain stakeholders, the Minister of Health issued a country-wide decree that all oxytocin should be stored in the existing immunization (EPI) cold chain. This is a key step in ensuring maternal medicines are available and effective when used.