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Saving Mothers’ Lives with the NASG: A Lifeline Against Excessive Bleeding

Postpartum hemorrhage, or excessive bleeding after childbirth, remains the leading cause of maternal death in Uganda and across Sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, 287,000 mothers and 4 million children die every year from preventable complications. Nearly 95% of these deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, where timely intervention is often out of reach.

 

One simple, low-cost device is changing this story: the Non-Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG). The NASG is a lightweight, reusable suit made of neoprene and Velcro. When wrapped around a bleeding mother, it applies gentle pressure that redirects blood flow to vital organs like the heart, lungs, and brain, stabilizing her until definitive treatment is available.

In 2023, through our Mother Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, Save the Mothers donated 25 NASGs to six hospitals: Kawolo, St. Francis Naggalama, Mukono General, St. Francis Nyenga, Mukono Church of Uganda hospitals, and Buvuma Health Centre IV.

 

At Kawolo Hospital, the NASG stabilizes 7–10 mothers every month. On Buvuma Island, a hard-to-reach district where access to referral hospitals requires crossing Lake Victoria the garment has been a lifeline mothers.

 

Health workers have called it a game-changer. Midwife Yudaya at Kawolo says: “Before, we lost many mothers on the way to referral hospitals. Now, with the NASG, we stabilize them here first. It has changed everything.” Midwife Rose at Buvuma adds: “If anyone tried to take away the NASG from our unit, I would fight to keep it. We cannot imagine working without it.” And Sr. Nekesa at Kawolo affirms: “These garments are a lifeline. We urgently need more suits and training for our teams.”

Mothers, too, share stories of hope. Fazira, who was unconscious from heavy bleeding, woke up alive after being wrapped in the garment. Winnie from Buvuma, who lost her baby but survived surgery, said: “I lost a lot of blood, but because of the NASG, I am here. I am alive.”

 

This intervention directly supports WHO’s postpartum hemorrhage guidelines and contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 3: reducing maternal mortality worldwide.

midwife-rose-at-buvuma-health-centre

“Every day, 12 women die from childbirth complications. No woman or child should die giving life,” he said. “We appreciate Save the Mothers and UCU for coming together to establish mother-baby friendly facilities. I’ll personally work to ensure the district fully recognizes UCU’s past and ongoing support.”

 

The meeting was attended by representatives from Mukono District Local Government, UCU’s Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health, Directorate of Facilities and Capital Projects, Directorate of Communication and Public Relations, and the Save the Mothers management team.

 

This collaboration reaffirms UCU’s mission to serve and impact communities through strategic partnerships and holistic education especially in the area of maternal and neonatal health. 

By. Kefa Senoga