Little is known about the impact of "home-based records'' on the health promotion of mothers and children. Considering this, we compiled and analysed existing evidence on the effectiveness of a specific home-based record, the Maternal and Child Health Handbook (MCHHB), in enhancing the health of mothers and their children. A systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Maternity, and Infant Care, CINHAL, and Ovid was conducted. All types of original research articles published in English were considered. A narrative synthesis was used due to the heterogeneity of findings among the included studies. Out of a total of 1351 papers, 45 studies were included. Breastfeeding, immunisation, family planning, antenatal care, maternal nutrition, maternal Tetanus Toxoid (TT) immunisation, vitamin A and iron supplements, smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, healthy and safe delivery, awareness of pregnancy complications, and healthy child development are all areas where MCHHB has been implemented and evaluated. Although one study found no effect, our findings indicate a positive impact. The results emphasised the effectiveness and value of MCHHB in enhancing maternal and infant health. However, given that only a small number of studies were available for each outcome group, we suggest more research be conducted on the MCHHB's positive effects on mothers’ and children’s health.

Introduction: Women’s empowerment refers to strengthening the social, economic, and educational powers of women. Numerous global initiatives have been implemented to enable women to make decisions about their health and lives. The purpose of this literature review was to review women’s health barriers, related best practices, and their impacts on women's empowerment in the global context. Methods: We comprehensively searched databases: PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar and key program websites. To expand our review, we used a snowball strategy to scan articles, documents, reports, and research outputs of global programs and best practices to overcome barriers. Also, we screened publications posted on websites of organizations working on women’s empowerment and monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals progress. Results: Findings suggest significant advancements have been made in the status of women's health over the past two decades. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated health barriers, impeding, and even reversing progress, which has resulted in widening women’s inequity in access to health care services worldwide. Conclusions: Findings suggest that successful and sustainable programs should have a multisectoral, multilevel and multistakeholder, diversified interventions approach with social empowerment, as well as the need for legislative enforcement against discrimination and harmful practices towards women.