Faith leaders play a pivotal role in shaping sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence of early marriage and unmet contraceptive need remains high. This scoping review synthesizes current evidence (2000-2025) on faith-partnered interventions addressing family planning, early marriage, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination across the region. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched four electronic databases and identified 15 studies that met the inclusion criteria across seven countries. Ten studies focused on family planning, four on early marriage/pregnancy, and one on HPV vaccination. Most interventions provided educational training for faith leaders to disseminate information through sermons, community meetings, and home visits. Family planning programs demonstrated improved knowledge of modern contraceptive methods, more supportive attitudes, and increased uptake of services. Geographic variations in outcomes were noted, with effectiveness varying by gender, contraceptive method type, and local context. Three faith-led pregnancy prevention programs reported poorer outcomes, emphasizing abstinence-only messaging with limited contraceptive education. One HPV vaccination campaign was identified, achieving 154% of its target coverage without parental backlash. The review highlights the limited evidence on early marriage and HPV vaccination interventions, as well as methodological challenges, including the lack of longitudinal data and standardized evaluations, and the need for more rigorous research designs. Faith leaders' influence varied by their resources, networks, and capacity to act. Findings suggest that faith-partnered approaches show promise for improving SRH outcomes when leaders receive comprehensive training combining theological and medical content, significant evidence gaps remain.
Faith leaders play a pivotal role in shaping sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence of early marriage and unmet contraceptive need remains high. This scoping review synthesizes current evidence (2000-2025) on faith-partnered interventions addressing family planning, early marriage, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination across the region. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched four electronic databases and identified 15 studies that met the inclusion criteria across seven countries. Ten studies focused on family planning, four on early marriage/pregnancy, and one on HPV vaccination. Most interventions provided educational training for faith leaders to disseminate information through sermons, community meetings, and home visits. Family planning programs demonstrated improved knowledge of modern contraceptive methods, more supportive attitudes, and increased uptake of services. Geographic variations in outcomes were noted, with effectiveness varying by gender, contraceptive method type, and local context. Three faith-led pregnancy prevention programs reported poorer outcomes, emphasizing abstinence-only messaging with limited contraceptive education. One HPV vaccination campaign was identified, achieving 154% of its target coverage without parental backlash. The review highlights the limited evidence on early marriage and HPV vaccination interventions, as well as methodological challenges, including the lack of longitudinal data and standardized evaluations, and the need for more rigorous research designs. Faith leaders' influence varied by their resources, networks, and capacity to act. Findings suggest that faith-partnered approaches show promise for improving SRH outcomes when leaders receive comprehe ...
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