WHO: 30 per cent of Algerian births are via caesarean

Caesarean deliveries in Algerian hospitals and obstetric clinics have been increasing year after year. This fact has led the World Health Organisation (WHO) to issue a warning to Algeria about this alarming situation. It is strange that many pregnant women ask for these operations when they give birth in private clinics to avoid the pain of labour and delivery, despite its likely side effects on the mother’s health.

Fathi bin Ashenhou, a family doctor, confirmed in a telephone conversation with Echorouk that the World Health Organisation had issued a warning to Algeria about the increase in Caesarean deliveries over the past ten years, which exceeded the average world rate. According to him, “30 per cent of Algerian women delivered their babies in caesarean operations, which is a very high rate.”

The interviewee expressed his regret over this phenomenon, which causes dangerous side effects, most notably the rupture of the abdominal binder, the high risks of miscarriage, or the delivery of a stillborn foetus in subsequent births, and the placenta’s movement from its place and its premature drop or disconnection. On the long-term, children who have been born under caesarean operations risk having asthma and diabetes, according to a recent medical study.

READ: 3,000 babies’ fathers refuse to recognise them in Algeria

Ashenhou accused private obstetric clinics of excessively and randomly resorting to caesarean operations to earn more money, as the price reaches 10 million compared to four million in natural childbirth, and also to achieve the most significant number of deliveries in a short period. Our interviewee commented on this phenomenon saying: “Our private clinics are cutting pregnant women like rams.”

To limit these operations, Ashenhou confirms that the midwives have to do their proper job, namely, to take care of the pregnant woman’s condition, minute by minute, hours before the delivery, and to be with her during the birth.

On the other hand, the head of the Department of Neonatology at Mustapha Pasha University Hospital, Dr Jamil Laban, stressed that the increase in caesarean operations in the obstetric departments in public hospitals in recent years has contributed to the decline of breastfeeding in the Algerian society. This fact has caused alarm because of the mother’s distancing from her baby and the deprivation of his right to natural nutrition, in addition to the lack of training among health personnel as well as the “incorrect”  information the mothers receive on this topic.