The World Health Organisation has called on medical doctors to only perform caesarean sections when medically necessary.
According to the WHO, caesarean section is one of the most common surgeries in the world, with the rates rising, particularly in high-and middle-income countries.
The global health body, in a statement on Friday in Geneva, said although it could save lives, caesarean section was often performed without medical need, putting women and their babies at risk of short- and long-term health problems.
It urged the need for medical practitioners to focus on the needs of the patient, on a case-by-case basis, and discourage the practice of aiming for “target rates.”
The WHO announcement on Caesarean Section Rates was based on two studies carried out by the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Bank Special Programme for Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction and the WHO.
The statement read in part, “Caesarean section may be necessary when vaginal delivery might pose a risk to the mother or baby – for example due to prolonged labour, foetal distress, or because the baby is presenting in an abnormal position. However, caesarean sections can cause significant complications, disability or death, particularly in settings that lack the facilities to conduct safe surgeries or treat potential complications.
“Since 1985, the international healthcare community has considered the “ideal rate” for caesarean sections to be between 10 per cent and 15 per cent. New studies reveal that when caesarean section rates rise towards 10 per cent across a population, the number of maternal and newborn deaths decreases. But when the rate goes above 10 per cent, there is no evidence that mortality rates improve.”
The Director of WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research, Dr. Marleen Temmerman, stated that the conclusions highlighted the value of caesarean section in saving the lives of mothers and newborns.
Temmerman added that the surgery should be provided to the women in need and to not just focus on achieving any specific rate. Agency report
