Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) - Technical Bulletin
Technical guidance on how to procure NASG – a first aid medical devices used to control severe bleeding after childbirth and reduce maternal mortality – through UNICEF.
About
The document provides detailed guidance for governments, UN Agencies, NGOs and other entities on the selection and use requirements of Non-pneumatic Anti-shock Garment (NASG) when procurement through UNICEF is planned for.
It includes information on:
- Size selection, as the correct garment size is of critical importance in stabilizing vital body functions in cases of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).
- Sourcing guidance, including advice on estimating the adequate order quantity when factors like the place where the product will be used (health facility or ambulance), the number of expected deliveries and the historical occurrence rate of severe PPH cases can be taken into consideration.
- Requirements for use, drawing attention to logistics, training and cleaning guidelines.
NASG is a low-cost first aid medical device used to stabilize the vital body functions of mothers suffering from severe bleeding after childbirth, namely PPH, until they can receive proper care.
PPH can kill a healthy woman within hours if she is unattended, and it is the largest direct cause of maternal mortality worldwide. WHO published in 2023 that each year about 14 million women experience PPH, resulting in about 70,000 maternal deaths globally.
Non-surgical intervention
The use of NASG as a non-surgical intervention can keep a woman with PPH alive for up to 48 hours, buying valuable time to transfer the patient to a healthcare unit where she can receive treatment. NASG is used in combination with uterotonics and other first-response PPH interventions.
NASG has eight segments that are wrapped over the patient’s legs, pelvis and abdomen. The garment applies external pressure to a woman’s lower body to drive blood upward, which reduces blood flow to the uterus and treats hypovolemic shock. Made of neoprene, NASG is lightweight, washable and can be reused up to 144 times.
The NASG technical bulletin was last updated in January 2025.
