Last updated May 16, 2026
Key finding
Mobile health tools may improve blood sugar control in African diabetes patients, but benefits vary.
This review looked at whether mobile health tools like text messages and phone apps help people with type 2 diabetes in Africa manage their condition. Researchers found six studies from five African countries involving over 3,000 adults. The tools included text message reminders, phone calls from nurses, and diabetes management apps. Overall, people using mobile health tools saw their HbA1c levels drop by about 1%, which is a meaningful improvement. However, results varied widely between studies. All participants found the mobile tools easy to use and helpful. The evidence is moderate because only six small studies exist, and they used different approaches in different settings.
Quick read
The essential study design details in one scan.
EvidenceScore™
Moderate
Study type
Systematic Review
Follow-up
Medium-Term (3–12 mo)
Risk of bias
Some Concerns
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Plain-language summary
A plain-language read of the study’s main message and where it applies.
Study focus
Mobile health tools may improve blood sugar control in African diabetes patients, but benefits vary.
Published in
Publication details and source links for this paper.
Dike FO, Mutabazi JC, Musa E, Ubani BC, Isa AS, Ezeude CM, Iheonye H, Ainavi II. Implementation and impact of mhealth in the management of diabetes mellitus in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS Digit Health. 2025;4(4):e0000776. doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000776
HbA1c → ↓ (moderate improvement)
User acceptance → ↑ (strong acceptance)
Adults with type 2 diabetes who have access to a basic mobile phone, especially in areas where regular clinic visits are difficult. May be most useful in healthcare systems with limited staff or resources where mobile tools can provide support between appointments.
Only six studies from five countries means these findings may not represent all African healthcare settings
Explore related studies, evidence collections, and research questions.
Relationships organized using the Dediabetes Evidence Intelligence™ framework.
This study contributes to evidence on Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Programs and HbA1c.
This study contributes to the evidence on the following intervention-outcome relationships.
Behavioral & Lifestyle
Curated evidence collections and hubs this study is part of.
All studies on Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Programs
Contributes to Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Programs evidence base.
All studies measuring HbA1c
Measures HbA1c as a key outcome.
Jump to pre-filtered views in Evidence Explorer.
5 results
5 results
5 results
Generated from the study's connected evidence using Evidence Intelligence™.
Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Programs has been studied in relation to HbA1c, but the direction of effect is unclear.
ConsistencyScore™: Results are consistent across studies.
Ranked evidence signals
HbA1c
EvidenceScore™ Strong | EvidenceScore™ 81.9 | unknown | ConsistencyScore™ Consistent | 1 study
Why this answer: This answer is based on 5 supporting studies and existing graph evidence signals.
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