"Every minute, a woman somewhere in the world dies in childbirth or from complications of pregnancy," Amy Grossman, communications manager for Venture Strategies for Health and Development, writes in a New York Times opinion piece, adding that misoprostol is "an inexpensive medicine that could save a great many of these women's lives." She adds that the generic drug -- "originally developed to treat ulcers but ... predominately used off-label for obstetrics" -- can "effectively stop" postpartum hemorrhaging if taken immediately after delivery. According to Grossman, postpartum hemorrhage, or excessive bleeding, is the "leading cause of maternal death in most developing countries." She continues, "What's more, it's an easy-to-take tablet with a long shelf-life," it "can be manufactured for as little as four cents a tablet, and in developing countries, a three-tablet dose goes for about a dollar."

However, she writes, "Because of its use in abortion, the drug's availability is limited." The "abortion debate should not obscure the benefits of its use in safe childbirth," Grossman adds. According to Grossman, "the United Nations has called for a drastic reduction in maternal mortality by 2015," and to "this end, my organization has had success working with agencies and governments to increase access to misoprostol to prevent unnecessary maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage, but there's more work ahead." She concludes that no woman should have to fear "dying in childbirth" (Grossman, New York Times, 5/10).

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