Maternal mortality following a C-section is 50 times higher in Africa than in high-income countries

Mothers in Africa who undergo a cesarean section are 50 times more likely to die during birth or from birth complications than women in higher-income countries, a new study finds. Nearly 3,700 mothers across 22 countries in Africa were included in the analysis, which noted many of the countries are still struggling with access to health care as well as making C-sections safer for new mothers. The researchers also found that rates of neonatal mortality in Africa were 44 deaths per 1,000 infants — twice the global average. A caveat: The study authors say the hospitals included in the study were government hospitals from middle-income countries. “The outcomes presented here might therefore be better than that expected across Africa,” they write.