TITLE:
Prevalence, Indications and Morbidity of Caesarean Sections in a Referral Hospital of the Health Voucher Program: The Case of Garoua Regional Hospital in the Northern Region of Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Mbarnjuk Aoudi Stéphane, Kabko Mbargang Georges, Ngalame Alphonse Nyong, Ourtchingh Clovis, Mangala Nkwele Fulbert, Anicet Gakdang Ladibe, Tameh Theodore Yangsi, Neng Humphry Tatah, Koudjou Blaise, Halle-Ekane Gregory Edie
KEYWORDS:
Caesarean Section, Health Voucher, Cephalon-Pelvic Disproportion, Hemorrhage
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.13 No.12,
December
22,
2023
ABSTRACT: Caesarean section (CS) is a
surgical procedure performed to remove a fetus from the mother’s uterus through an incision
on the abdominal wall, then on the uterine wall. The indications of CS vary not
only between countries, but also from one hospital to another and from one team
to another within the same hospital. Despite advances in asepsis and
anesthesia/resuscitation technics, there are still complications of varying
severity inherent to the gravid-puerperal state on one hand and the technics
used on the other, irrespective of the operative indication. Thus, the present
study was carried out with the objectives of
determining the prevalence, identifying the indications, and evaluating the
morbidity linked to caesarean sections in our environment. Cameroon has
also set up a health voucher program in its northern region, aimed at reducing
maternal and fetus morbidity and mortality. The program aims to improve
financial access in antenatal care and deliveries, including caesarean
sections, in this low-income region of the country. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective
data collection, from February 1, 2022,
to May 31, 2022. We included all women who gave birth by caesarean
section. In our study series, out of 905 parturient admissions into the Department
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 226 were caesarian cases. The overall frequency of CS during our study period was
25%. Fetal indications were dominated by
cephalopelvic disproportion and non-reassuring fetal heart in 17.3% and
13.7% of cases respectively. Intraoperative complications were dominated by
hemorrhage (15.5%). In our study, we noted an 11.1% of prevalence perinatal mortality. Cameroon is a low-income
country with limited financial
resources, especially in the Northern region. The health voucher program
has improved financial access to caesarean sections for parturient in northern
Cameroon, and consequently to emergency obstetric and neonatal care.