Transitions in childbirth care provision: Understanding the rapid rise in institutional delivery in 21 countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the implications for future strategies

BackgroundIn sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), institutional births have risen rapidly but mortality has remained high. We examined whether there have been increasing births at hospitals, with skilled attendance, and emergency capacity as indicators of comprehensive, higher-quality childbirth services in 21 SSA countries over the last two decades. MethodsWe analysed national household surveys between 2001 and 2022 to examine population trends in birth place (hospital or lower-level), attendant, and Caesarean Section (CS) rates by wealth quintile, and routine health facility data for 2022 on volumes of live births and CS by facility level. Countries were classified based on recent institutional delivery coverage (<65%, 65-85%, >85%), to assess patterns of change and future directions in line with a maternal and neonatal mortality transition model. ResultsInstitutional delivery increases were primarily driven by lower-level facilities, which had low birth volumes and limited CS capacity. Yet countries that reached high delivery coverage saw greater gains in hospital births, attendance by doctors, and CS rates among the poorest. As national coverage rose, more deliveries were conducted at higher-volume CS-capable hospitals. Low population CS rates among the poorest persisted everywhere. ConclusionMajor increases in institutional deliveries have not sufficiently translated into equitable access to comprehensive, life-saving childbirth care in 21 countries of SSA. Shifts towards hospital deliveries in countries that reached high coverage, consistent with the transition model, can provide guidance to those with lower coverage (<85%). Contextualizing strategies to equitably provide high-quality childbirth care will be transformative for womens and newborns health in SSA.