Pay for a free service, access to cesarean section in the slums of Dakar

In sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring equitable access to cesarean sections remains a significant challenge in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, especially among disadvantaged populations. The situation is even more severe in slums, where financial barriers often prevent women from accessing costly healthcare services like cesareans. This paper examines access to emergency cesarean services for women living in the slums of Dakar, within the framework of Senegal’s free cesarean policy introduced in 2005.