The number of medical centers offering innovative methods to encourage natural childbirth has increased to 220.
“Given that cesarean section has seen a sharp increase, one of the eight-pronged goals of the Health Reform Plan is to reduce c-section,” said technical treatment deputy at the Health Ministry Dr. Ali Maher.
He said the ministry also seeks to include private hospitals in the program to encourage natural childbirth as the c-section rate has not come down in private hospitals, ILNA reports.
“The program seeks to reduce c-sections to the global benchmark by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2016),” he said.