Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing and Utilising Sexual and Reproductive Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Overview

Journal BMC Health Serv Res

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Health Services

Date 2024 Dec 5

PMID 39639274

Authors

Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa

Clifford Odimegwu

Kobi V Ajayi

Tosin Olajide Oni

Rajeeb Kumar Sah

Akanni Akinyemi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Ensuring uninterrupted access and utilisation of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services remains crucial for preventing adverse SRH outcomes. However, the unprecedented emergence of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) significantly disrupted most of these services in Africa. Thus, we systematically reviewed and examined barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising SRH services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

Methods: We systematically searched five databases for relevant articles published between January 2020 to December 2022, and the articles were screened following the JBI and PRISMA guidelines. Meta-synthesis of barriers and facilitators to accessing and utilising SRH services during the COVID-19 pandemic were reported, while a meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of barriers to accessing and utilising SRH services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa was analysed using R.

Results: The pooled prevalence of barriers to accessing and utilising SRH services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa was 26%. Seven themes were developed for the identified barriers (disruption of healthcare services, fear and misinformation, limited availability of resources, place & region of residence, healthcare staff attitude/manpower, limited access to transportation, and stigma and discrimination), whilst six themes were developed for the identified facilitators (support for vulnerable populations, socio-demographic characteristics, community outreach programs, policy adaptations, telemedicine and digital health, and change in choice of sexual and reproductive commodities).

Conclusion: This study found that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted SRH service access and utilisation in Africa. We recommend that future research consider a longitudinal examination of the pandemic on African SRH services.

Trial Registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022373335.

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