ISSN 2736-1578
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 6, June 2026 | pp. 34–41
DOI: 10.46882/AJGWS2026000203
Article Type: Review Article
Title: Maternal Healthcare Infrastructures and Telemedicine Efficacy in Coastal Fishing Communities
Names of Authors: Efua Boateng¹, Abosede Balogun²
Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, ²Department of Community Health, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Nigeria
Abstract: Geographical isolation complicates critical maternal emergency responses in riverine and coastal fishing communities along the West African coast. This systematic review synthesizes clinical and operational data from 30 localized mobile telemedicine interventions implemented between 2021 and 2025. Meta-analysis metrics show that mobile prenatal triage networks reduce high-risk emergency transit delays by a relative risk ratio of RR = 0.38 (95 percent confidence interval [0.25, 0.54], p < 0.001). The integration of remote fetal monitoring arrays reduced prenatal complication screening turnaround periods by a mean parameter of delta = plus/minus 3.5 hours. Unstable satellite networks and high maritime data tariffs remain primary infrastructural deficits, disrupting 42 percent of active communication windows. The study highlights the need for public subsidies to secure coastal healthcare data links.
Keywords: Maternal healthcare, Telemedicine, Infrastructure, Coastal communities, Digital triage
Manuscript Timeline: Received: 02 February 2026, Revised: 08 March 2026, Accepted: 05 April 2026, Published: 14 June 2026
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