Daily, the number of women who die around the world reaches an average of 800; these deaths are a result of obstetric complications in pregnancy and childbirth, and 99% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This review probes the use of antenatal care (ANC) and skilled birth delivery (SBD) services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and highlights research gaps using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological approach. The screening of abstracts and full text was carried out by two independent authors who ensured the eligibility of data extraction from the included articles. An exploration of the data was undertaken with descriptive analyses. In total, 350 potentially eligible articles were screened, and 137 studies were included for data extraction and analysis. From the 137 included studies, the majority were from Ethiopia (n = 40, 29.2%), followed by Nigeria (n = 30, 21.9%). Most of the studies were published between 2019 and 2023 (n = 84, 61%). Significant trends and challenges with ANC and SBD services emerged from the studies. It is revealed that there are wide gaps in the utilization of ANC and SBD services. Policy attention, intervention strategies to improve access, resources, rural–urban disparity, and women’s literacy are recommended to improve the utilization of ANC and SBD services in SSA countries.

Low- and middle-income countries have an estimated 21 million adolescent pregnancies each year, of which approximately 50% are unintended. Many co

Prenatal care is crucial, but accessing healthcare services has been a challenge for pregnant homeless women in Africa. The majority in this marginalised group are not screened for common pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, infection, and stillbirth. Therefore, this scoping review aims to explore the barriers to accessing prenatal healthcare services for pregnant homeless women in Africa. This scoping review was conducted using the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley. Four electronic databases: CINHAL complete, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science were searched. In addition, a manual search was done on Google Scholar and other websites for grey literature. The search was confined to 20 years (2004 to 2024). The reference lists of the articles searched and included in the study were examined for additional titles that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Out of 3910 titles screened, only three (n = 3) studies met the eligibility inclusion criteria in this study. Two out of the three studies that were included were conducted in Ethiopia while one was conducted in South Africa. All of the studies used qualitative research methods. Across the 3 studies, the ages of the participants ranged from 15 to 45 years. Two major themes were identified, namely: Theme 1: the barrier to accessing prenatal healthcare services and Theme 2: Social Support needs. Theme 1 has four categories that emerged: lack of awareness; fear of stigma and discrimination; previous negative experiences; and financial constraints. Theme 2 emerged with two categories: psychological and emotional needs; and nutritional needs during pregnancy. This study identified barriers and facilitators to access prenatal healthcare services among pregnant homeless women as a multifaceted issue, rooted in stigma and discrimination, lack of awareness, and negative experiences with healthcare providers. There is a need for interventions to improve access, health and well-being for this marginalised group—from the government, stakeholders, and nongovernmental organisations.

Postnatal care is a critical component of maternal and newborn health services. Most maternal and infant deaths occur during this time according to the World Health Organisation, yet its utilisation rates remain suboptimal in many low- and middle-income countries. Thus, this scoping review aimed to examine, describe, and identify the gaps in the utilisation of PNC services. A scoping review guided by Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework was conducted. The review study explored the literature published from 2013 to 2024 on PNC services utilisation in sub-Saharan African countries. A search of five electronic databases search engines: PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the WHO African Index Medicus, was undertaken for relevant articles. A backward and forward reference check was done to identify additional relevant literature. Duplicates were removed, two authors independently screened the abstract and full text, and data extraction of the included articles. Results are presented narratively after an exploration of the data was undertaken with descriptive analyses. A total of 350 potentially eligible articles were screened, and 32 studies were included for data extraction and analysis. From the 32 included studies, the majority were from Ethiopia (n = 21, 65.6%), with most of the studies published between 2019 and 2024 (n = 23, 71.9%); a cross-sectional study design was largely employed (n = 28, 87.5%). The included studies revealed the following themes: Awareness and knowledge of PNC healthcare services, resources in the healthcare system, and urban-rural gaps and disparities. There is low utilisation of postnatal care services in the aforementioned places in this study. There is a need for significant improvements in maternal and child healthcare utilisation by focusing on the areas of greatest need. This can be enhanced through the development of more health facilities close to the community residence to improve accessibility; provision of access to transportation and awareness of the relevance of postnatal care, as a few key strategies. The education of the girl child should be a priority in order to improve PNC services utilisation. Interventions should be targeted at rural areas where there appears to be a significant dearth of services.