Table 2 Matrix of factors reported by papers to attract care seekers to different provider types: Proximity and timeliness of services

Proximity or easy access/lower cost of transport (n = 42)

'Close by' Uganda [54]Nigeria & Ghana & Uganda & Kenya[55], Ethiopia[10, 13], Nigeria [56, 57]

'Close by' Uganda [54, 32, 16, 18], Ethiopia [22]Ghana[29], Kenya[14], Nigeria [28, 26, 58, 57]Malawi[59, 24]

'Close by' Uganda [16], Nigeria [20, 58]

'Close by' Nigeria [28], Ghana [21]

'Close by' Health centre Zambia[60], Uganda[12, 16], Gambia[40], Burkina Faso[61], Nigeria [62]

'Close by' Nigeria [58] Nigeria [58]Burkina Faso[61],

'Close by'Ethiopia [52]Sudan[64], Nigeria [20, 48], Ghana [21] Tanzania [47, 4]Uganda[46], Kenya [38]

'Easy access' Uganda[17] (traditional birth attendants)

'Less travel' Ghana [43], Tanzania[15] Malawi [36]

'Easy access' Uganda[32]

'Easy access' Uganda[41]Kenya[63]

'Easy access' Mozambique[51], Tanzania[53], Kenya [49]

'Save on transport cost' Nigeria [27] Ghana [21] Kenya [30]

Save on transport cost' Kenya [38], Mozambique[51], Ghana [21]

Provider timeliness of services (opening hours and waiting times) (n = 21)

'Short waiting time' Nigeria [56]

'Available 24 hrs' Kenya[14], Nigeria[19]

'Available at convenient hours' Tanzania [34]

'Operate for longer hours' Ghana[65]

'Fast services for malaria cases' Nigeria [66]

'Short waiting time' Ethiopia [52], Ghana [21], Kenya [38, 49]Uganda[46] Nigeria [48]

'Longer opening hours' Nigeria[20], Uganda[18]

'Short waiting time' Kenya[14], Nigeria [28]

'Short waiting time' Ethiopia [39]

'Convenient treatment times'

Ghana [43]

'Provide faster services' Kenya[35]

'Short waiting time' Ghana [21, 43], Ethiopia [22], Tanzania [31] Malawi [36], Uganda[18]

'Provide fast services' Uganda[18]