World - Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total)

Definition: Births attended by skilled health staff are the percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.

Source: UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.

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Development Relevance: Reproductive health is a state of physical and mental well-being in relation to the reproductive system and its functions and processes. Means of achieving reproductive health include education and services during pregnancy and childbirth, safe and effective contraception, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries. The share of births attended by skilled health staff is an indicator of a health system's ability to provide adequate care for pregnant women.

Limitations and Exceptions: For the indicators that are from household surveys, the year refers to the survey year. For more information, consult the original sources.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Assistance by trained professionals during birth reduces the incidence of maternal deaths during childbirth. The share of births attended by skilled health staff is an indicator of a health system’s ability to provide adequate care for pregnant women.

Classification

Topic: Health Indicators

Sub-Topic: Reproductive health