Characteristics of tools that predict pre-eclampsia risk: a new target product profile

The type of document we're working on is called a target product profile or TPP.

This TPP helps people design and develop effective and affordable tools that more accurately predict pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. It aims to help improve maternal health outcomes globally. 

You can view more target product profiles on the Accelerating Innovation for Mothers (AIM) website.

Accurately predicting risk for pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a complication of pregnancy that can happen after the 20th week of gestation. It is characterised by high blood pressure and signs that other organs, like the kidneys and liver, may not be working properly. It's a leading cause of global maternal and newborn deaths with an estimated 4.6% of pregnant women experiencing pre-eclampsia worldwide.

In the past, medical professionals have looked at a mother’s medical history to determine their risk of pre-eclampsia. This method is not very effective at finding women who are at increased risk of developing the condition. Recently, new and better ways to screen for pre-eclampsia have been developed. These methods are more accurate at predicting which women may develop pre-eclampsia.

Why we need more tools to predict pre-eclampsia risk

Many places including low-resource settings still look at medical history to determine pre-eclampsia risk. This is because it can be hard to implement newer methods. Reasons include limited availability of trained health workers and inadequate infrastructure. Many women in these settings also do not start pregnancy care early on. We need new ways of measuring risk for pre-eclampsia for all women. They must be accurate, affordable, and best meet the needs of pregnant women in diverse settings.

Our TPP document describes the minimum and ideal characteristics of tools that accurately predict the risk for pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.

Your views on pre-eclampsia risk screening tools

We sought feedback from different experts to improve this TPP. This feedback is helping to define the characteristics of a pre-eclampsia risk screening tool that best meets global health needs.

Thank you to those who have completed the feedback survey. The survey is now closed, and we are reviewing your feedback.