Multilevel determinants of community health workers for an effective maternal and child health programme in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Authors: Akalewold T Gebremeskel, Olumuyiwa Omonaiye, Sanni Yaya

In this systematic review, authors review perceived barriers and enablers of community health worker engagement in addressing maternal and child health (MCH). Researchers identified 1561 articles from six countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria. Authors identified four different levels of determinants for effective CHW MCH programs: individual, interpersonal, community, and health system logistics. At each level, various themes emerged. For example, lack of competence and CHW empowerment were two themes identified at the individual level. Overall, this review offers insight into existing MCH programs in sub-Saharan Africa, and provides context on how they may be improved.