CAESAREAN DEATHS HIGH IN AFRICA

FIFTY times more women die from Caesarean delivery in Africa than in highincome countries, a study published in the Lancet medical journal has found.

The study was conducted in more than 180 hospitals in 22 African countries, including Congo, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, and published this week.

The study found the maternal mortality rate for C-sections in Africa is substantially higher than expected at 5.43 deaths per 1 000 operations compared to just 0.1 per 1 000 operations in Britain.

One in six women in Africa also develop complications during surgery, nearly three times the incidence of women in the US. The most common problems involved severe bleeding during and after operations, the researchers said.

The neonatal mortality rate after C-sections in Africa is also double the global average.

“Paradoxically, while many countries are aiming to reduce the Caesarean delivery rate, increasing the rate of Caesarean delivery remains a priority in Africa,” said one of the study’s authors, Professor Bruce M Biccard.

“Improving access to surgery might allow patients to present earlier and prevent complications and deaths, but it is vital that this improvement occurs in parallel with programmes aimed at improving patient safety during Caesarean delivery,” he added. |