The sharp increase in births by caesarean section around the world is unparalleled and unjustified, according to the Lancet series.
Caesarean section births doubled to 21 percent of all deliveries globally in the past 15 years, and they are increasing annually by four percent, reveals the three-part Lancet series.
Much of the increase is due to medically unnecessary surgeries that have not been accompanied by significant benefits for women and children.
On the contrary, there is growing evidence that having a medically unnecessary caesarean section may put the lives and well-being of women and their babies at risk.
It is estimated that 10-15 percent of births require C-sections for medical reasons. Higher rates are considered excessive by the World Health Organization.
In Kenya, the surgery is overused in some counties and underused in others, reveals a NationNewsplex review of maternal health data.
Caesarean rates in Kenya differ widely across counties, with up to a 23 percentage point difference between regions with the highest rate and those with the lowest.