Percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel

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Headline data

Percentage of US births attended by by skilled health personnel
Year Value
2000 99.4
2001 99.4
2002 99.5
2003 99.3
2004 99.3
2005 99.4
2006 99.4
2007 99.3
2008 99.3
2009 99.3
2010 99.2
2011 99.2
2012 99.3
2013 99.4
2014 99.3
2015 99.1
2016 99.1
2017 99.1
2018 99.1
2019 99.1
2020 99.1
2021 98.6
2022 98.7

Source: National Center for Health Statistics/Final natality data

Geographical Area:

Unit of Measurement:

Footnote:

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from United States statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from American statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other American-specific metadata information.

Indicator

Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel
Organisation

National Center for Health Statistics/Final natality data
Definition and concepts

Attendance of births by professional health. Professional health includes physician+ certified nurse midwife+ other midwife.
Unit of measure

Percent.
Data sources

National Center for Health Statistics/Final natality data - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/vitalstatsonline.htm
Data providers

Reproductive Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics
Comment and limitations

Data currently available through 2022
Method of computation

Number of births attended by a doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, certified nurse-midwife or other midwife divided by total number of births expressed per 100 births.
Actual indicator available - description

Represents the percentage of all births attended by a doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, certified nurse-midwife, or other midwife
Date of national source publication

September, 2017
Periodicity

Annual
Scheduled update by national source

September, 2022
Disaggregation geography

National level.

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator

Indicator 3.1.2: Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

Target

Target 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births
Organisation

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO)
Definition and concepts

Definition:

Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (generally doctors, nurses or midwives but can refer to other health professionals providing childbirth care) is the proportion of childbirths attended by skilled health personnel. According to the current definition[1] these are competent maternal and newborn health (MNH) professionals educated, trained and regulated to national and international standards. They are competent to: (i) provide and promote evidence-based, human-rights based, quality, socio-culturally sensitive and dignified care to women and newborns; (ii) facilitate physiological processes during labour and delivery to ensure a clean and positive childbirth experience; and (iii) identify and manage or refer women and/or newborns with complications.

1

Definition of skilled health personnel providing care during childbirth 2018 joint statement by WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, ICM, ICN, FIGO and IPA. https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/statement-competent-mnh-professionals/en/. ↑
Unit of measure

This indicator is reported in proportion (or percentage (%)
Data sources

National-level household surveys are the main data sources used to collect data for skilled health personnel providing childbirth care. These surveys include Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), Reproductive Health Surveys (RHS) and other national surveys based on similar methodologies. In these surveys the respondent is asked about the last live birth(s) and who helped during delivery for a period up to five years before the interview.

Surveys are generally undertaken every three to five years.

Population-based surveys are the preferred data source in countries with a low utilization of childbirth services, where private sector data are excluded from routine data collection, and/or with weak health information systems.

Routine service/facility records are a more common data source in countries where a high proportion of births occur in health facilities and are therefore recorded. These data can be used to track the indicator on an annual basis.
Data providers

Ministries of Health and National Statistical Offices, either through household surveys or routine sources.

Comment and limitations

Births attended by skilled health personnel is an indicator of health care utilization. It is a measure of the health system’s functioning and potential to provide adequate coverage for childbirth. On its own, however, this indicator does not provide insight into the availability or accessibility of services, for example in cases where emergency care is needed. Neither does this indicator capture the quality of care received.

Data collection and data interpretation in many countries is challenged by lack of guidelines, standardization of professional titles and functions of the health care provider, and in some countries by task-shifting. In addition, many countries have found that there are large gaps between international standards and the competencies of existing health care professionals providing childbirth care. Lack of training and an enabling environment often hinder evidence-based management of common obstetric and neonatal complications.
Method of computation

Numerator:

Number of births attended by skilled health personnel (doctor, nurse or midwife) trained in providing quality childbirth care, including giving the necessary support and care in the immediate postpartum period.

Denominator: The total number of live births in the same period.

Births attended by skilled health personnel = (number of births attended by skilled health personnel)/(total number of live births) x 100.
Metadata update

2024-03-28
International organisations(s) responsible for global monitoring

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO)
Related indicators

Related to Target 3.1 on reducing maternal mortality, 3.2 on reducing neonatal mortality and 3.8 on achieving universal health coverage (coverage of essential health services)
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