Bacterial infections around the time of childbirth (peripartum infections) account for about one-tenth of maternal deaths globally. In addition to the high risk of mortality and acute morbidity, women who experience peripartum infections are also vulnerable to serious long-term disabilities such as chronic pelvic pain, fallopian tube blockage and secondary infertility (the inability to become pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term after the birth of one or more children). Peripartum infections also pose a threat to the lives of newborns – maternal infections during childbirth cause approximately 1 million newborn deaths annually.

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