A study carried out in 2016 and its findings published in 2019 indicates that maternal mortality after caesarean delivery in Africa is 50 times higher than that of high-income countries.
According to the findings, the deaths are caused by peripartum haemorrhage and anaesthesia complications.
The findings also show that neonatal mortality is double the global average.
The study titled: Maternal and neonatal outcomes after caesarean delivery in the African Surgical Outcomes Study: a 7-day prospective observational cohort study was carried out by a number of researchers among them Prof. RZipporah Ngumi from the University of Nairobi Department of Anaesthesia.
It recommends the need for early identification and appropriate management of mothers at risk of peripartum haemorrhage inorder to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Africa.
The study which was funded by Medical Research Council of South Africa recruited more than 3,000 patients between February and May, 2016 in hospitals across Africa.
