Accessibility and barriers to maternal health services for adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Globally, adolescent girls aged 15-19 years give birth to approximately 16 million children annually, accounting for 11% of all births. Low- and middle-income nations carry the burden of these births, with 95% happening in Africa, where maternal mortality rates continue to be high. In Sub-Saharan Africa, early marriages persist, with roughly half of women delivering before age 20.

Objectives

This scoping review aimed to map evidence on the accessibility and barriers to maternal health services for adolescent girls in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Eligibility criteria

Included studies were peer-reviewed articles published in English between 2014 and 2025, focusing on adolescent girls (10-19 years) and maternal health services in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sources of evide

SUBMITTER: Muchemwa G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12743789 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature