Saving a mother's life could cost just 24 pence
Blood loss through childbirth (postpartum haemorrhage) currently affects 14 million women around the world and leads to one woman dying every six minutes.
The University’s E-MOTIVE trial, which recruited over 210,000 women across four African countries, found that using a drape to measure blood loss after delivery helped rapidly diagnose a haemorrhage so that a package of WHO-recommended treatments could be promptly applied.
While towels are commonly used to absorb blood, it is very difficult to tell from towels exactly how much blood is being lost. A plastic drape sits under the mother and collects the blood without absorbing it, so it can be measured objectively.
The intervention was extremely effective – reducing the number of women with severe and life-threatening bleeds by 60%.
Now, new analysis of E-MOTIVE has shown the treatment is also cost effective. A drape now costs less than $1 per patient and rapid diagnosis and treatment for haemorrhage saves on the need for costly emergency treatments like blood transfusions, meaning overall E-MOTIVE costs just 30 cents (24p) extra on average. The E-MOTIVE trial – which followed early research funded by alumni support – has also been named the David Sackett Trial of the Year 2023 by the Society for Clinical Trials.
Targeting a breakthrough in pancreatic cancer research
Around 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK. A significant philanthropic donation is accelerating early-stage research into new immunotherapy treatment possibilities. Nationally recognised oncologist Dr Shivan Sivakumar is developing new therapies that use a patient’s own immune system to fight pancreatic cancer.
The family and friends of Richard Nevill, who was a patient of Shiv’s, continued Richard’s fundraising work after his death, to fund the creation of the Nevill PhD Scholarship in Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research. The PhD scholar will work with Shiv’s team to investigate the role of a special kind of T-cell in pancreatic cancer, establishing an evidence base that could catalyse the development of new immunotherapy clinical trials for patients.
As an Honorary consultant in medical oncology at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Shivan believes that our research strengths and close proximity to one of the largest pancreatic cancer clinical units in the country leaves us poised to make a real difference.
‘With over 150 pancreatic cancer operations happening each year in Birmingham, it’s a fantastic place to do translational research that will ultimately impact on patient care and outcomes.’
Alumni fund 10 years of innovative student projects
Alumni like you have made a huge impact on the learning and wellbeing of students over the last decade, by funding innovative projects that have a positive impact on the student experience at the University.
Made up of charitable donations from the alumni community, the Alumni Impact Fund is available on an annual basis for students, groups and sports clubs to apply for support of up to £2,000 towards projects that are innovative, collaborative and/or support skills development. In 2024, it was launched at the University of Birmingham Dubai campus for the first time.
Projects that have benefited include:
- The Grow with Joe Community Garden, a student-led food growing project located at the top of the Green Heart on Edgbaston campus that grows organic fruits, vegetables and herbs.
- Equipment for a new podcast (pictured) from the Surgical Society (SurgSoc) to create online anatomy tutorials on YouTube and the society’s website, tailored to supplement anatomy teaching to medical students during the pandemic. Since graduating, Conor Boylan (Intercalated BSc Clinical Anatomy, 2020; MBChB Clinical Medicine, 2021) has continued the project and the YouTube channel now has more than 27,000 subscribers and delivered nearly 60,000 hours of teaching content.
- Coding clubs in schools run by members of WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) to inspire the next generation of leaders in the field, with new equipment purchased including Raspberry Pi computers, robots and Chromebooks.
Excitingly, the Alumni Impact Fund is receiving additional funding in 2025 as we celebrate our 125th anniversary, with a £125,000 budget for suitable projects available to staff and students across both the Edgbaston and Dubai campuses.