SynthesisInternational journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics2025
Characteristics of longitudinal maternal health studies in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic mapping of literature between 2012 and 2022.
Synthesis in International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Characteristics of longitudinal maternal health studies in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic mapping of literature between 2012 and 2022.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2025Pooled it
- Regional inequalities and temporal trends in maternal disorders across sub-Saharan Africa, 1990-2023: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease 2023 data.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Article
- Enjoying the Free Menu? Discoursing the Barriers to Exclusive Breastfeeding for Improved Maternal and Child Health in Tanzania: A Review of Evidence.Health science reports · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHigh maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa necessitate the need for aligned research focusing on prevalent causes and neglected conditions in the region.
objectiveThis mapping review aimed to describe the characteristics of longitudinal maternal health studies between 2012 and 2022 in sub-Saharan Africa and identify gaps in priority conditions or geographical locations. SEARCH STRATEGY: We identified references through a Medline (PubMed) search covering September 2012 to June 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included prospective cohort or clinical trials that enrolled at least 1000 pregnant women, with a study site in sub-Saharan Africa, and published in English or French. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Screening and data extraction were done in duplicate using EPPI-reviewer software. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the results, identifying patterns in studies across time, country, study design, topics, and funders. MAIN
resultsWe identified 213 eligible studies, which were covered in 534 publications. We identified studies in 33 of the 48 sub-Saharan African countries, with the majority in east and southern Africa. The predominant study topics were HIV (36.4%), nutrition (20%), and malaria (16.3%), with very few publications on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (6.4%), ante/postpartum hemorrhage (3.7%), and sexually transmitted infections (3.2%). More studies were cohorts (115/213; 54%) than clinical trials. The National Institutes of Health (31.5%), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (22.1%), and USAID (10.8%) were the largest research funders.
conclusionIdentifying research trends and mismatches between research topics and disease burden provides useful information for guiding future research prioritization. In particular, gaps exist for studies on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and ante/postpartum hemorrhage, among the top causes of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.