Caesarean sections are the most frequent major abdominal surgery performed in the world today. The worldwide proportion of women who give birth by caesarean section has steadily increased from 6% in 1990 to 21% in 2018 and is estimated to reach 30% in 2030. Projections indicate that 38 million women will give birth by caesarean section in 2030, and 88% of these operations will occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
A caesarean section is a complex operation that requires a series of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative steps that can be broadly classified into surgical, medical and anaesthetic interventions. As with any surgery, caesarean sections are associated with short- and long-term risks which can extend many years beyond the current delivery and affect the health of the woman, her child and future pregnancies. These risks are higher in women with limited access to comprehensive obstetric care.
To improve the quality of care, safety and efficiency, as well as training and research on caesarean sections, it is important to standardize practices based on the best available evidence. At present, there is no international evidence-based consensus about what precise steps should be used when performing a caesarean section, and wide variations exist in practices within and between surgeons, hospitals and countries.
In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) will develop recommendations for evidence-based interventions to conduct caesarean sections. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for WHO Maternal and Perinatal Health (MPH) guidelines prioritized the development of this guideline in May 2024.
A Guideline Development Group (GDG) meeting of a surgical subgroup will be held from 10 to 12 June 2025 to review and agree on the surgical interventions to be addressed in these forthcoming recommendations. In keeping with the requirements of the WHO Guidelines Review Committee and the WHO Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics Office, we are posting online short biographies of the GDG members. The listed candidates have also submitted a Declaration of Interest form stating any conflict of interests. WHO has applied its internal processes to ensure that the performance of the above tasks by members of this group will be transparent and without any significant conflict of interests (academic, financial or other) that could affect the credibility of the guideline.
Nevertheless, WHO invites the public to review the experts and stakeholders involved and provide feedback regarding any member deemed to have a significant conflict of interest with respect to the terms of reference for this group. Comments and feedback should be cordial and constructive, and sent to srhmph@who.int.
This WHO normative meeting is by invitation only.
NOTE:
The GDG members are participating in the meeting on their individual capacity. Affiliations are presented only as a reference. The participation of experts in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO nor does it create a binding relationship between the experts and WHO. The biographies have been provided by the experts themselves and are the sole responsibility of the inpiduals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the information provided. In accordance with WHO conflict of interest assessment policy, expert’s biographies are published for transparency purposes. Comments and perceptions are brought to the knowledge of WHO through the public notice and comment process.
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