Urbanization and Reproductive Health in Informal Settlements: A Rapid Review of Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
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Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasingly urbanising. This rapid urbanisation has implications for social, economic, and health systems. We conducted a rapid review of existing literature to understand the dual impacts of urbanisation on reproductive health, focusing on populations in informal settlements within urban areas of SSA. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) were adopted for this review. Documents were retrieved from the following electronic databases and search engines: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Wiley Online Library and SpringerLink. The titles and abstracts of the publications were independently screened via Rayyan review management software. A total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. Key findings reveal that while urbanisation enhances access to maternal healthcare services and contraceptive use, it exacerbates disparities among informal settlement residents due to economic, systemic, and environmental barriers. Emerging themes include maternal and child health inequities, unmet contraceptive needs, and the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Strategies to mitigate these challenges include infrastructure development, community-based interventions, digital health innovations, and gender-sensitive policies. This review underscores the urgent need for integrated, context-specific approaches to address reproductive health disparities in urban SSA.
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