Sustainable Development and Medical Practice in Equatorial Guinea: A Scoping Review for Maternal and Reproductive Health

Equatorial Guinea’s hydrocarbon-fuelled economic growth contrasts with persistent challenges in maternal and reproductive health. This disparity highlights a disconnect between national wealth and the advancement of an equitable, resilient health system. This scoping review aims to map and synthesise literature on the integration of sustainable development principles into medical practice for maternal and reproductive health in Equatorial Guinea. It seeks to identify key themes, evidence gaps, and linkages between development policy and clinical care. A systematic scoping review was conducted using established frameworks. Peer-reviewed articles, grey literature, and policy documents were identified from major academic databases and institutional websites. Literature was screened, selected, and charted to provide a descriptive-analytical overview. The review identified a dominant focus on physical infrastructure development, without proportional investment in human resources or system resilience. Although modern health facilities exist, a critical shortage of skilled birth attendants was consistently reported as a major barrier to care. The explicit integration of sustainability principles into routine clinical practice was found to be largely absent from the literature. Sustainable development within the health sector has been narrowly equated with infrastructure. A broader conceptualisation, encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions within medical practice, is required for sustained improvement in maternal and reproductive health outcomes. Future initiatives should prioritise sustainable health workforce development, community-based care models, and the incorporation of environmental sustainability into clinical guidelines. Further primary research is needed to evaluate interventions that align clinical practice with sustainable development goals for maternal health equity. Sustainable Development, Maternal Health, Reproductive Health, Medical Practice, Equatorial Guinea, Health Systems This review consolidates the current evidence landscape, clarifying the critical gap between infrastructure-led development and the sustainable clinical practice needed to improve maternal and reproductive health outcomes in Equatorial Guinea.