RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The Benin Government introduced free caesarean section in public hospitals in 2009 and a national agency was created to manage free caesarean section. METHODS: Three years after introduction of free caesarean section, we evaluated this measure in the Ouidah hospital area (HZO) by analysing the hospital structure, the implementation process and the results. RESULTS: This study showed the efficacy of free caesarean section, which has helped to increase the caesarean rate from 2.38% in 2009 to 3.48% in 2012, a caesarean section mortality rate of 0.99%, insufficient information for beneficiaries, some drugs are not covered by this measure, and additional costs must be paid by beneficiaries. DISCUSSION: These results indicate the need for a detailed cost analysis to adjust the unit cost for caesarean section. This type of evaluation should be performed in all public hospitals in the country to more clearly identify malfunctions.