The health of women in sub-saharan African informal settlements: a literature review

In 2018, the UN estimated that 23.5% of the world's urban population was living in informal settlements by United Nations (The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019, 2021). This number is projected to increase as urbanization rates continue to rise in locations where governments cannot keep pace with infrastructure and housing developments. The populations living in these informal settlements face unique health challenges; slum health is an understudied subject when compared against rural health, urban health, and poverty and health. The current literature lacks a focused analysis of research on the health of women living in informal settlements. This population is of particular concern due women's unique need for reproductive health care, the health impacts of work done by women, and the disadvantages women face due to gender discrimination and violence. This study reviewed and summarized publications from the past 10 years focused on the health of women living in informal settlements in Sub-Saharan Africa. This review also included analysis of study location, spatial scale, health focus, and characteristics of the study population. Results from this review provide insight into topics and locations where future research is needed to address health disparities of women living in slums.