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.
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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
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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)
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This study contributes evidence to SMS text messaging behavioral intervention for health promotion and HbA1c.
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Primary intervention
SMS text messaging behavioral intervention for health promotion
Primary outcomes
Primary intervention
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Evidence network role
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387
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Contributes evidence
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Core evidence
The primary outcomes reported in this study.
SMS text messaging behavioral intervention for health promotion → HbA1c
SMS text messaging behavioral intervention for health promotion → HbA1c
Evidence Library
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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
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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.
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6 results
6 results
6 results
Generated from the study's connected evidence using Evidence Intelligence™.
Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Programs may improve HbA1c.
ConsistencyScore™: Results are generally consistent across studies.
Ranked evidence signals
HbA1c
EvidenceScore™ Strong | EvidenceScore™ 83.0 | weak positive | ConsistencyScore™ Generally Consistent | 1 study
Why this answer: This answer is based on 30 supporting studies with generally consistent results and a positive effect signal.
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