Maternal health is a global priority, and significant progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality rates in recent decades. However, disparities persist, with Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia accounting for the majority of maternal deaths worldwide. Maternal health services are essential for reducing maternal mortality and improving maternal outcomes. However, a number of factors, including individual, household, community, and health system factors can affect whether or not women use these services.

In resource-limited settings, a number of factors can affect whether or not women use maternal health services. These factors include individual characteristics such as age, education level, income, employment status, and marital status; household factors such as income, number of children, and decision-making power; community factors such as distance to health facilities, quality of care, cost of services, and attitudes towards maternal health; and health system factors such as availability of skilled health workers, essential drugs and supplies, and emergency obstetric care.

This Research Topic will present the latest evidence on maternal health services utilization in sub-Saharan Africa. It will also explore the factors that influence utilization of services, and showcase evidence-based interventions that have been shown to be effective in improving maternal health services utilization.

Scope:

• Knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of maternal health services among women, healthcare workers, communities, and men.
• Factors that influence maternal health services utilization.
• Interventions and policies to improve maternal health services utilization.

Types of manuscripts:

• Original research articles that present new findings on maternal health services utilization.
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that synthesize existing evidence on maternal health services utilization.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Maternal Health Services Utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa Vol. II