| 1 | less than 2% |
| 2 | 2% to 4.9% |
| 3 | 5% to 9.9% |
| 4 | 10% to 14.9% |
| 5 | 15% to 24.9% |
| 6 | 25% to 34.9% |
| 7 | 35% or over |
| 8 | No Data |
| 1 | 0 to 5 |
| 2 | 5 to 10 |
| 3 | 10 to 20 |
| 4 | 20 to 30 |
| 5 | 30 to 40 |
| 6 | 40+ |
| 7 | No Data |
Links
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Births by Caesarean Section
What does it mean ?
This indicator shows the number of births by caesarean section relative to all births. Birth by caesarean section requires specialist health worker skills, an operating theatre and availability of specific drugs and medical products.
Why does it matter ?
All pregnancies are associated with risk and when medically justified, a caesarean section can prevent maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. However, because any surgery carries risk of complications, caesarean sections should not be performed unless it is medically required. According to the World Health Organisation, about 10-15 % of all births require delivery by caesarean section. As such, caesarean section rates lower than 10% indicates under-use and caesarean section rates over 15 % indicate over-use. Because birth by caesarean section requires specialist medical skills and health services, this indicators is sometimes used as a proxy indicator to measure the availability of quality of maternal health services in countries where data from health information systems and health facility surveys are limited.
How is it collected ?
Data on the percent of birth by caesarean section is usually derived from large scale, nationally representative surveys such as Demographic and Health (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), other national surveys. DHS/ MICS are household surveys where women are asked if they have given birth (usually in the last three or five years) and the circumstances surrounding the birth including if they had a caesarean section.
"The Increasing Trend in Caesarean Section Rates: Global, Regional and National Estimates: 1990-2014" Betrán, A., et al. PLoS One. 2016; 11(2): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4743929/
Stillbirths in 2015
Stillbirth rate
What does it mean ?
Stillbirth rate is the number of stillbirths per 1,000 total births, which includes live births and stillbirths. A live birth refers to any baby that is born that shows signs of life outside of the womb. Stillbirths can occur before childbirth (antepartum), or during labour or childbirth (intrapartum). Stillbirths, in many cases, reflect inadequacies in antenatal care coverage or in intrapartum care. For international comparison purposes, stillbirths are defined as third trimester foetal deaths (more than or equal to 1000g, or more than or equal to 28 weeks).
Why does it matter ?
The majority of stillbirths are preventable, evidenced by the regional variation across the world. The rates correlate with access to maternal healthcare. The every newborn action plan (ENAP) to end preventable deaths has a set stillbirth target of 12 per 1000 births or less by 2030. This indicator is part of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030) under Survive: End preventable deaths.
How is it collected ?
The preferred sources for data are civil registration and vital statistics systems, and population-based surveys. Other possible data sources are administrative reporting systems, health facility assessments and special studies.
World Health Organization. 2020. Stillbirths https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/epidemiology/stillbirth/en/ [Accessed 9 March 2020]
World Health Organization. 2020. Stillbirths https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/epidemiology/stillbirth/en/ [Accessed 9 March 2020]
Stillbirth rate
What does it mean ?
Stillbirth rate is the number of stillbirths per 1,000 total births, which includes live births and stillbirths. A live birth refers to any baby that is born that shows signs of life outside of the womb. Stillbirths can occur before childbirth (antepartum), or during labour or childbirth (intrapartum). Stillbirths, in many cases, reflect inadequacies in antenatal care coverage or in intrapartum care. For international comparison purposes, stillbirths are defined as third trimester foetal deaths (more than or equal to 1000g, or more than or equal to 28 weeks).
Why does it matter ?
The majority of stillbirths are preventable, evidenced by the regional variation across the world. The rates correlate with access to maternal healthcare. The every newborn action plan (ENAP) to end preventable deaths has a set stillbirth target of 12 per 1000 births or less by 2030. This indicator is part of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030) under Survive: End preventable deaths.
How is it collected ?
The preferred sources for data are civil registration and vital statistics systems, and population-based surveys. Other possible data sources are administrative reporting systems, health facility assessments and special studies.
World Health Organization. 2020. Stillbirths https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/epidemiology/stillbirth/en/ [Accessed 9 March 2020]
World Health Organization. 2020. Stillbirths https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/epidemiology/stillbirth/en/ [Accessed 9 March 2020]
