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Review
. 2016 Jul 8:2:6.
doi: 10.1186/s40748-016-0033-x. eCollection 2016.

Cesarean section in sub-Saharan Africa

Margo S Harrison  1 , Robert L Goldenberg  1
Affiliations
Review

Cesarean section in sub-Saharan Africa

Margo S Harrison et al. Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol. .

Abstract

Cesarean section is an essential maternal healthcare service. Its role in labor and delivery care in low- and middle-income countries is complex; in many low-resource settings it is underutilized in the most needy of populations and overused by the less needy, without clear methods to ensure that universal access is available. Additionally, even if universal access were available, it is not evident that these countries would have the capacity or the finances to appropriate meet demand for the procedure, or that patients would want to utilize the care. This review summarizes the literature and illustrates the complicated relationship that cesarean section, which is rapidly on the rise around the world, has with individuals, communities, and nations in sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: Cesarean section; Epidemiology; Low- and middle-income countries; Sub-Saharan Africa; Trial of labor after cesarean section; Vaginal birth after cesarean section.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Latest available data on cesarean section rates by country (not earlier than 2005)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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