Effectiveness of maternity waiting homes in improving maternal and child health outcomes in Africa: A scoping review
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Global Health Science
Abstract
There is a strong correlation between the African continent's high maternal mortality
rates and the lack of access to birthing facilities. Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs) offer
pregnant women in remote areas a secure place to stay near the time of delivery. This
scoping review aimed to systematically analyse the use, implementation, and effectiveness
of MWHs in improving maternal and child health outcomes in Africa. We systematically
searched electronic databases and resources, analysing 30 articles from 2010 to 2023 using
the Joanna Briggs Institute framework, guided by Arksey and O'Malley's 6-stage approach.
For transparency, we adhered to the modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
reviews and Meta-Analyses framework for scoping reviews. MWHs were linked with lower
perinatal mortality and increased facility-based deliveries (adjusted odds ratio, 1.19; 95%
confidence interval [CI], 1.10–1.29) in 30 studies, the majority of which were conducted in
East Africa (relative risk, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.05–0.76). They offer clean settings, which mitigate
the danger of infection. However, they are constrained by socio-cultural obstacles and
a localised impact that lacks community integration, resulting in poor utilisation (10%–
50%). The successful reduction of maternal and perinatal mortality in Africa is contingent
upon the elimination of barriers to proactive utilization prior to labor and the integration
of MWHs with health systems. It is essential to adjust to local settings, such as those in
Namibia, in order to achieve a more extensive influence
Description
This review aims to provide a complete assessment of the methodologies
and scope of research in the field of MWHs by synthesizing the existing body of material
Keywords
Maternity waiting homes, Maternal health services, Child health services, Africa South of the Sahara, Review, Namibia, University of