Implementing components of the PHC for PE/E Model in Pakistan: A cost analysis

Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia (PE/E) is the third leading cause of maternal mortality in Pakistan. Women with PE are at increased risk for organ damage or failure, pre-term birth, loss of pregnancy, and stroke. PE can progress to eclampsia, which is characterized by seizures, and may be associated with kidney and liver damage, as well as maternal death. The risks of PE/E can be mitigated with regular screening during antenatal care and the postnatal period. Regular monitoring of PE can lessen progression to severe PE/E, and severe PE/E can be managed through administration of magnesium sulfate and antihypertensive drugs. Between 2016 and 2018, the Population Council, in collaboration with the Provincial Health Department, Government of Sindh Pakistan, implemented an intervention to confront PE/E that was part of the Ending Eclampsia project that implemented aspects of the (5-component) Primary Health Care (PHC) PE/E Model in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The intervention in Pakistan was comprised of task sharing to detect and manage PE/E with PHC providers (component 1), and increased ANC uptake at the community level (component 3). This Country Brief describes the economic cost for implementing the two components in Pakistan