Chile’s public health system has solidified the reduction of C-sections as a formal management commitment for the second year in a row. This measure requires hospital facilities not only to monitor their statistics but to report concrete progress in decreasing the number of surgical interventions.
The national goal is ambitious: to reach a 30% C-section rate in the public sector by 2030. Currently, Chile records historic rates exceeding 40%, with figures approaching 60% when combining the public and private sectors, positioning the country among the highest in the OECD for this procedure.
Responsibility for meeting these targets falls directly on the directors of health services. These officials are tasked with implementing the operational changes and clinical decisions necessary to meet the indicator.
A Clinical Management Challenge
Scientific evidence indicates that C-section rates above 15% do not improve maternal or infant health outcomes. On the contrary, the unnecessary use of these interventions exposes women and newborns to avoidable surgical risks.
OVO Chile, an organization that monitors the process, emphasizes that the success of this policy depends on proven strategies. These include strengthening the role of midwives in physiological birth and implementing clinical audits within the first 24 hours following the procedure.
The challenge also involves addressing C-sections performed at maternal request. According to specialists, this requires preventive work starting in primary care, providing evidence-based prenatal education so that patients can make informed decisions.
There is a clear gap between the two sectors. While the public system has already established accountability targets, the private sector lacks equivalent management obligations in this area.
OVO Chile announced that in 2026 it will continue to support both public and private providers in seeking safer models of care. Experts insist that it is essential to replicate the practices of those public hospitals that have already succeeded in reducing their indicators without compromising patient safety.