Gender Equality Programmes and Healthcare Access in Eastern Ghana’s Rural Areas: A Systematic Review of Health Outcomes Studies

Gender equality programmes in healthcare have been implemented to improve access to medical services for rural populations in Eastern Ghana. A comprehensive search was conducted using databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria related to study design, population, intervention type, and outcome measures relevant to healthcare access and utilization in rural settings of Eastern Ghana. The review identified a trend towards increased maternal health service utilization among women who participated in gender equality programmes compared to those not involved. However, the impact on child nutrition outcomes was less consistent with mixed results indicating further research is needed. Gender equality initiatives appear effective in enhancing access to healthcare services for rural populations but may require tailored strategies to achieve broader health improvements. Future studies should explore specific interventions within gender equality programmes that address barriers to healthcare utilization such as stigma and cost. Additionally, sustained evaluation is crucial to ensure long-term benefits of these programmes. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.