Table 1.

Study selection: inclusion and exclusion criteria

PICOS strategy	Inclusion criteria	Exclusion criteria
Population	CHWs based in community setting and under public health systems. CHWs in countries of sub-Saharan Africa, which includes countries in Eastern, Central, Western and Southern regions of African continents.	CHWs in clinical health setting. Studies reporting on other health workers’ perspective like nurses, midwiferies, etc. CHW-based research conducted outside of SSA countries.
Intervention	No specific intervention. Eligible studies involved different engagement of CHWs to enhance MCH programmes through health promotion and education, information dissemination, immunisation, home visit, follow-up, linkage/referral and delivery services and the like. CHWs programme of MCH include family planning, antenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, breast feeding, immunisation/vaccination and newborn services for mothers and under-five children in public health system in SSA.	Other CHWs activities or non-MCH programme like studies on environmental health, malaria, sanitation and the like. CHWs research based not in a community setting, studies in clinical setting.
Comparison	There was no comparison group for this study.	No comparison.
Outcome	CHWs’ perceived barriers to and facilitators of effectiveness on CHWs/MCH. Multilevel determinants of CHWs’ engagement to ensure MCH equity and a resilient community health system.	Perceived barriers to and facilitators of effectiveness of CHWs on their non-MCH activities.
Study design	Qualitative and mixed-method studies based on lived experience of CHWs. The publication types include peer-reviewed primary research studies, and grey literature documents such as institutional reports, working papers and theses and dissertations. Published in English and published between January 2000 and September 2021in SSA were considered.	Quantitative studies. Articles summaries, commentaries, conference abstract only and/or lack retrievable full text. Studies conducted before January 2000 and published in languages other than English language.

CHWs, community health workers; MCH, maternal and child health; SSA, sub-Saharan Africa.