A national review of cesarean delivery in Ethiopia.

Objective: To describe Ethiopian national population-based and institutional cesarean delivery rates by sector, and to describe indications for cesarean delivery, fetal and maternal outcomes, and aspects of quality of care.

Methods: The data source was the national baseline assessment of emergency obstetric and newborn care--a cross-sectional, facility-based survey of 797 facilities. Two instruments were used to collect the data for the present paper: a retrospective record review of 267 cesarean deliveries based on the last 3 performed in each facility; and a 12-month summary of each facility's statistics on vaginal and abdominal deliveries.