Prenatal Screening for Common Aneuploidy in Southeast Asian Countries: A Systematic Review of Challenges and Opportunities

Southeast Asian (SEA) countries face persistent challenges in equitable healthcare delivery. Given the high prevalence of aneuploidy, increasing use of advanced prenatal screening technologies, and challenges reported in other regions, this study aimed to identify and assess existing policies and guidelines as well as the enablers and barriers to implementing prenatal aneuploidy screening in SEA. Using the PRISMA framework, we searched seven databases, conducted web searches, reviewed reference lists, and gathered input from key informants. Narrative synthesis was used to interpret and summarise data. We included 83 published documents and verbal insights from four key informants, identifying 17 topics on enablers and barriers grouped into four domains: (1) policies and guidelines, (2) healthcare infrastructure, (3) access to screening, and (4) culture and attitudes of healthcare providers and parents. Effective implementation requires surveillance of aneuploidy and screening practices to understand their impact on public health and national economies. Policy development should consider test performance, healthcare capacity, infrastructure readiness, budget, stakeholder perceptions, cultural norms, and legal frameworks, and be translated into clear guidelines. Sustainable implementation depends on continuous monitoring, ongoing education, collaboration, and regular policy updates.