Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) - Country Ranking - South America

Definition: Births attended by skilled health staff are the percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.

Source: UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Uruguay 100.00 2017
2 Chile 99.80 2017
3 Colombia 99.10 2019
3 Brazil 99.10 2017
3 Venezuela 99.10 2017
6 Suriname 98.40 2018
7 Paraguay 97.70 2018
8 Ecuador 96.00 2018
9 Guyana 95.80 2015
10 Argentina 93.90 2017
11 Peru 92.10 2019
12 Bolivia 71.50 2018

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Development Relevance: Reproductive health is a state of physical and mental well-being in relation to the reproductive system and its functions and processes. Means of achieving reproductive health include education and services during pregnancy and childbirth, safe and effective contraception, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries. The share of births attended by skilled health staff is an indicator of a health system's ability to provide adequate care for pregnant women.

Limitations and Exceptions: For the indicators that are from household surveys, the year refers to the survey year. For more information, consult the original sources.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Assistance by trained professionals during birth reduces the incidence of maternal deaths during childbirth. The share of births attended by skilled health staff is an indicator of a health system’s ability to provide adequate care for pregnant women.