Enhancing sexual and reproductive health services uptake in Sub- Saharan Africa: the role of community Pharmacists in promoting self-care interventions: a systematic review

Abstract

 BACKGROUND: Low uptake of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is influenced by system-level and socio-cultural barriers. Despite the potential of community pharmacists to offer self-care interventions on SRH, their role remains underutilized in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region due to a lack of guidelines and awareness. 

METHODS: A systematic search strategy was employed to identify peer-reviewed articles published in the English language between 2013 and 2023. The search was conducted from January 2023 to June 2023 in Research4life, PubMed, and Cochrane databases. Eligible studies focused on community pharmacists' interventions related to self-testing, self-management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), self-abortion management, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP), and self-management of contraception in SSA. 

RESULTS: The initial database search produced 7487 articles after removing duplicates, out of which 65 articles were appraised for full-text screening after the title and abstract screening. Ultimately, 11 articles were included in the review, covering selfcare interventions for sexual and reproductive health services, including modern contraceptives, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medical abortion pills, and HIV self-testing. The studies highlighted that community pharmacists play a crucial role in offering counseling, education, and faster service delivery, particularly for adolescent girls and young women. 

CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists in sub-Saharan Africa contribute in promoting access to, and use of self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health services. Governments and policymakers should prioritize the development of standardized guidelines to support community pharmacists in delivering quality SRH services.