Community engagement in research in sub-Saharan Africa: current practices, barriers, facilitators, ethical considerations and the role of gender- a systematic review

Introduction: meaningful community engagement is increasingly being considered the major determinant of successful research, innovation and intervention uptake. Even though there is available literature recommending community engagement in health research, there are still knowledge gaps in how communities might be best engaged in Sub-Saharan Africa. We, therefore, synthesized the existing literature on the current practices, barriers and facilitators, ethical considerations, and gender mainstreaming in the engagement of communities in research in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: this synthesis was developed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta -Analysis (PRISMA). A combination of keywords and medical subject headings was used to search MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health Library through OVID SP, the Cochrane Library, PsychINFO, CINAHL, WHO Afro Library, WHO Global Index Medicus and the National Institute for Health Research, for all literature published between 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2021. Results: thirty articles met our inclusion criteria. The key reported facilitators of effective community engagement in research included appropriate community entry and engagement of stakeholders. Barriers to effective community engagement in research included the availability of prohibitive cultural, historical and religious practices; geographical/spatial limitations, difficulties in planning and executing community engagement activities and communication barriers. Awareness creation and sensitization on the research through drama, social media, documentaries, and community durbars are some of the existing practices adopted in engaging communities in research. Gender mainstreaming was not considered appropriately in the engagement of communities in research, as only a few studies made provisions for gender considerations, and most of the time, interchanging gender for sex. Respect for autonomy, privacy and informed consent were the main ethical issues reported. Conclusion: gender mainstreaming and ethical standards were reported as important, but not explored in depth. Gender as a social construct needs to be carefully integrated in the entire research cycle. Clear ethical concerns within a research project have to be co-discussed by the research team, community members and potential research participants.

Automated summary

Meaningful community engagement is crucial for successful research, innovation, and intervention uptake. However, there are knowledge gaps in how to effectively engage communities in research in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study synthesized existing literature on current practices, barriers, facilitators, ethical considerations, and gender mainstreaming in community engagement in research in the region. The findings highlight the importance of appropriate community entry, stakeholder engagement, and addressing cultural, geographical, and communication barriers. Gender mainstreaming and ethical standards need to be further explored and incorporated into the research process.