Dr. Doaa Al-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population and Family Development Affairs, stated that Egypt leads the world in cesarean section rates, which reached approximately 72% in 2021. She noted that these rates are a worrying indicator for the medical system related to childbirth operations.
During her appearance on the Studio Extra program on the Extra News Channel, Al-Alfy explained that natural childbirth is the medical standard, while a C-section is a surgical procedure whose rate should be globally limited to just 10%.
She pointed out that in 2000, Egypt’s rates were low, much lower than in many neighboring countries. However, the rate began to rise gradually, reaching 28% by 2008, at a time when the United States’ rate was only 33%.
She continued by saying that by 2014, the rate had doubled to 52%, making Egypt the third highest country globally for C-sections at the time.
With the continuous increase, Egypt topped the list in 2021 with a record 72%. El-Alfy attributed this escalation to deficiencies in the medical system, urging a re-evaluation of medical practices concerning childbirth.
