Search

The crisis in human resources for global health is negatively impacting maternal health. In particular, access to emergency obstetric care is vital to prevent maternal deaths. In response to a severe shortage of physicians, various non-physician clinicians (NPCs), including midwives, perform caesarean sections in under-resourced environments. We reviewed the literature on the practice of any cadre of NPCs performing caesarean sections. The very limited literature on this topic finds that caesarean sections performed by NPCs and physicians appear to result in similar clinical outcomes. NPCs perform caesarean sections successfully and are more likely to stay in district hospitals than physicians. NPCs, including midwives, equipped with caesarean section skills may represent an extraordinary opportunity for solving a critical and unmet gap in the global maternal health crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]