EVALUATING THE TREND OF CAESAREAN SECTION FROM (2011 - 2016) IN THE KASENA NANKANA MUNICIPALITY, GHANA

Abstract

The trend of caesarean section (CS) rate continues to increase worldwide. This trend of increasing CS has raised a lot of concerns among health professionals and countries world over. The World Health Organisation in 2007 reached a consensus around the world with the recommendation of an acceptable Caesarean Section rate of 10---15% among countries. This study evaluated the trend of Caesarean Section in the Kassena- Nankana Municipal of the Upper East Region, Ghana. The study evaluated a six (6) years trend of Caesarean Section in the municipality using secondary data of clients and a few of primary data collected from clients who had Caesarean Section. The study design was medical records review or prospective study and the setting was the Kassena –Nankana municipality. The data collection was done using secondary data extraction forms and semi structured questionnaire. The objectives were to estimate the annual Caesarean Section rate in the Municipality, to identify the factors that influenced Caesarean Section in the Municipality and lastly, to assess the maternal and fetal outcomes of Caesarean Section in the Municipality of Kassena-Nankana in the Upper East Region, Ghana. The study found that, the annual Caesarean Section rate in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality was high (16.7%). This rate according to the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (2014) is higher than the rate of Caesarean Section in the Upper East Region (7.6%). Among the main indicators of Caesarean Section for the fetus was fetal distress which accounted for 54.4% that was fetal factors that determined Caesarean Section. The majority of maternal indicators were primary Caesarean Section (82%) and those with the indication of previous Caesarean Section (27.6%). A majority of the babies who survived after the Caesarean Section (84.7%) indicated greater number of the babies survived and those who died were (15.3%). The percentage of mothers who survived (96.4%) went through the Caesarean Section successfully and 3.6% died after the Caesarean Section. Primary Caesarean Section has been the common cause of the increasing Caesarean Section in the Municipality. From the study women who underwent primary Caesarean Section have had normal delivery without Caesarean Section before. There is the need to review majority of the indications for Caesarean Section. Again there is the need to train staff to do proper diagnosis for all the clients to prevent needless surgeries on the pregnant.