Turkey reports decline in cesarean section rates

Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu announced a significant decrease in cesarean section rates following the implementation of the ‘Normal Birth Action Plan’. During a healthcare facility opening ceremony in Gaziantep, Memişoğlu stated that the total cesarean rate has dropped from 62.8% to 58.5%, while the primary cesarean rate saw a 15% reduction.

The Minister emphasized that reducing non-medically necessary cesarean sections is a priority for public health. To support maternal health, the ministry has deployed 62,000 midwives across 81 provinces. Under the ‘Midwife for Every Pregnant Woman’ initiative, midwives provide one-on-one support during the final three months of pregnancy, with 40,000 pregnant women and postpartum mothers receiving home visits in the last nine months.

Additional support measures include pregnancy schools that assisted approximately 1 million expectant mothers in the last year and the ‘Motherhood Journey’ mobile application, which provides digital guidance to 250,000 women. Memişoğlu also noted the expansion of national healthcare capacity, stating that total bed capacity has reached over 271,000 through hospital renovations and new constructions.