Cesarean Section Epidemic: A Warning to Health Policy Makers Worldwide

The global increase in cesarean section (C-section) rates has transformed from a clinical phenomenon into a policy alarm bell.¹ Cesarean births, once reserved for high-risk pregnancies and life-saving interventions, now account for over one in five deliveries worldwide.¹,² In Libya, the situation is particularly striking, with approximately 60.8% of first-time births delivered by cesarean section—an unprecedented rate worldwide. As reported by Abdelghffar et al. in this issue of the Journal of the Best Available Evidence in Medicine, this is not a local apparency but a national maternal health emergency with deep-seated causes and broad implications.³