Table 1.

Stakeholders engaged in the initiative by level (national, regional or community) and relevant key activities and actions at each level

Level	Target	Key advocacy issues
National level	National health, policymakers, legislators, regulators	Assessing progress in maternal and infant health. Monitoring emergency obstetric care and resource use. Allocating resources to maternal health programmes at the country level. Implementing policy to improve maternal health quality services.
Regional level	Health programme managers	Allocating funds to increase availability of epidural anaesthesia during labour at all the birth centres. Building training initiatives for healthcare operators to work under ‘Code Red’ situations during labour and delivery. Adopting a caesarean section classification system to monitor and compare caesarean section rates in a consistent and action-oriented manner.
	Clinicians attending women: family doctors, gynaecologists, midwives	Educating patients about the risks of caesareans and promotion of vaginal delivery as a natural event. Training.
	Community leaders and maternal health advocates	Disseminating information about delivery methods. Creating advocacy agenda and the use of small and mass media and interpersonal communications to influence perceptions about vaginal delivery. Mobilising women to demand access to maternal health services with high-quality standards.
Community level	Media	Ensuring communities are informed regarding the pros and cons of CS. Creating awareness about the overutilisation of CS.
	Women	Keeping informed and making choices according to their health needs.

CS, caesarean section.