title: Inequities in the use of cesarean section deliveries in the world.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the unequal distribution in the performance of cesarean section delivery (CS) in the world and the resource-use implications of such inequity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained data on the number of CSs performed in 137 countries in 2008. The consensus is that countries should achieve a 10% rate of CS; therefore, for countries that are below that rate, we calculated the cost to achieve a 10% rate. For countries with a CS rate of >15%, we calculated the savings that could be made by the achievement of a 15% rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four countries had CS rates of <10%, whereas 69 countries showed rates of >15%. The cost of the global saving by a reduction of CS rates to 15% was estimated to be $2.32 billion (US dollars); the cost to attain a 10% CS rate was $432 million (US dollars).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSs that are potentially medically unjustified appear to command a disproportionate share of global economic resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, Institute of Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Luz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Belizan
authors.forename: Jeremy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lauer
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Betran
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merialdi
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Althabe
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery