The World Health Organisation (WHO) and its partners have launched a global roadmap to tackle hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, amid renewed concern over preventable maternal and newborn deaths, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria.
The roadmap, covering 2026 to 2035 and beyond, aims to strengthen the prevention, early detection and treatment of pregnancy-related hypertension and ensure women have access to life-saving care before complications become fatal.
Hypertensive disorders complicate an estimated 10 to 15 per cent of pregnancies worldwide and account for about 16 per cent of maternal deaths globally, according to WHO.
The conditions are estimated to cause about 42,000 maternal deaths every year, as well as more than 500,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths.
The new initiative has particular relevance for health systems where pregnant women still face barriers to basic antenatal and emergency care. WHO said many women lack reliable access to blood-pressure monitoring, urine protein testing and essential medicines such as aspirin, antihypertensives and magnesium sulfate.
Weak referral systems, shortages of trained health workers and limited emergency obstetric services can further delay treatment.
Speaking on the initiative, Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing, said pre-eclampsia could develop during any pregnancy, but timely detection and access to emergency care could determine whether it became fatal.
“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.”
Allotey said the roadmap brings together research, medicines, clinical guidance, health systems and political action to ensure that a woman’s chances of surviving pregnancy do not depend on where she lives.
The Global Roadmap for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, 2026–2035 and Beyond, launched at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Global Conference, outlines coordinated action in research and innovation, clinical guidance, access to medicines and diagnostics, implementation, advocacy and accountability.
WHO said a major concern is the gap between the scale of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia and the limited availability of medicines specifically developed and approved for their prevention or treatment.
Research investment has largely focused on diagnostics, while the development of new preventive and treatment options remains chronically underfunded.
To address the gap, WHO brought together more than 140 partners at a global summit in May 2026, where participants identified 20 priority research questions to guide future investment in predicting, detecting and treating hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
The risks are particularly high in low- and middle-income countries, where gaps in antenatal care, medicines, diagnostics, skilled health workers and emergency services can leave women vulnerable to severe complications.
For Nigeria, the roadmap reinforces the importance of strengthening routine antenatal monitoring, referral systems and access to essential medicines and emergency obstetric care.
WHO also warned that the consequences of pregnancy-related hypertension can extend well beyond childbirth. Women affected by the disorders face increased risks of chronic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney disease later in life.
Children exposed to the conditions during pregnancy may also face increased risks associated with preterm birth and longer-term cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
WHO is calling on governments, funders, researchers, health professionals, industry, civil society and development partners to align investments around one goal: ensuring that proven interventions and future innovations reach the women and babies who need them most.
The organisation said closing gaps in prevention, early detection and timely treatment could save thousands of lives and improve health outcomes for mothers, newborns and families worldwide.
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