The World Health Organization-recommended rate of delivery by Caesarean section (C-Section) is 10-15% of all live births, but in Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan, this rate was 23% in 2014. The perception is that an inadequate public health sector forces women toward the private sector where C-Section is routinely conducted without valid medical reasons, posing risks to women's health and incurring catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures. This study identified the correlates of C-section delivery and whether they differed by the urban/rural residence of women and place of delivery (public vs. private). Using multivariate logistic regression analyses of data from the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) collected from June-October, 2014 for all women who gave birth in the prior two years (N = 10,558), we found that rich women were statistically no different from poor women in their odds of delivery by C-section in the generally more expensive private health facilities (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-1.71); rich women were more likely to deliver by C-section in the less expensive public health facilities (aOR 2.03; 95% CI 1.13-3.63). This paradox may reflect the inefficiency of the health system and suggests limited affordable alternatives for poor women in the public sector.
Keywords: Pakistan; Women’s health; cesarean section; health care services; place of delivery; public/private health facilities.