Introduction The aim of this systematic review was to identify key interventions aimed at women’s health and reproductive rights across three (3) main dimensions - i.e., sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal and child health, and menstrual hygiene in developing countries, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods Three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched, consistent with other recent systematic reviews in this area. Additional searches were carried out using manual searching and citations tracking of empirical studies addressing interventions surrounding the identified health and reproductive rights themes. Only papers published in English were included. Results A total of 12,730 papers were screened and 114 met the criteria. Different forms of interventions were identified across the three themes, with their associated challenges and lessons learnt. A general theme is the absence of boys and men in various interventions centering around health and reproductive rights, as well as the need for more long-term evaluations of various programmes and interventions. The importance of participatory community engagement in the design of various programmes is highlighted, as well as the need for more multi-pronged interventions to address underlying social, cultural, economic, environmental, technological, and political factors that influence the achievement of health and reproductive rights objectives. Digital innovations, which are expanding across the African continent, will need to be supported by the necessary infrastructure and expertise in order to reap full benefits and avoid deepening of existing inequities among vulnerable groups. Conclusion Findings suggest that several SRH interventions are effective for adolescents in SSA and other developing country contexts. The distribution of interventions and programmes however varies across different countries. Future programmes should focus on a broader inclusion of actors, and explore multipronged approaches to deal with the complex set of factors affecting SRHR outcomes. Additionally, studies that focus on long-term impacts and sustainability are needed to further contribute to the evidence-base.
Project leader: Nkechi S. Owoo
Project researchers:
Scientific mentors: Jorge Davalos
No journal publications.
| Title | Modified | Size | Comments | Recommendations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interventions to Promote Health and Reproductive Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa and Other Developing Countries: A Systematic Review | 2024-08-29 | 2.29MB | 0 | 0 |
No policy briefs.
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No proposals.
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