The Influence of Religious Leaders on Use of Antenatal and Delivery Care in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

The researchers conducted a review of the literature on the Influence of Religious Leaders on the Use of Antenatal and Delivery Care in Sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and ScienceDirect, and hand searches were conducted using Google Scholar. References of included studies were also reviewed. Studies were included if they reported on religious leaders’ influence on ANC and/or delivery care among women in sub-Saharan Africa and were published in English between 2000 and June 2025. The researchers assessed risk of bias with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and present their findings using a narrative summary and analysis. Overall, evidence from this review strongly supports the integration of religious leaders into maternal health promotion strategies.