Mobile health interventions for hypertension and heart disease: Evidence from Nigerian communities

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent a major and growing public health burden globally, with low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria experiencing a disproportionate rise in morbidity and mortality. Rapid urbanization, lifestyle changes, population growth, and weak health system capacity have contributed to the increasing prevalence of hypertension, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and stroke in Nigeria. Limited access to specialized cardiovascular care, high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, shortages of trained personnel, and inadequate health infrastructure continue to hinder effective prevention and management. In this context, mobile health (mHealth) technologies have emerged as a promising strategy to strengthen cardiovascular disease care delivery.
This review synthesizes evidence on the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of mobile health (mHealth) technologies for cardiovascular disease prevention and management in Nigeria. 
A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and other relevant online databases, focusing on peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025. The search strategy was guided by the SPIDER framework to capture qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies examining mHealth applications for CVD prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and long-term management. Data were synthesized thematically to identify key benefits, barriers, and health system implications.
Evidence from 28 studies indicates that mHealth interventions offer substantial opportunities to improve cardiovascular care in Nigeria. Key benefits include enhanced monitoring of vital signs, early detection of cardiovascular risk, improved medication adherence, support for lifestyle modification, remote patient monitoring, and increased access to specialist care, particularly for underserved and rural populations. High levels of effectiveness were reported for accessibility, patient self-management, and lifestyle modification support, while improvements in blood pressure control and treatment adherence were consistently observed across multiple intervention studies. Integration of mHealth tools with existing healthcare systems further supported clinical decision-making, continuity of care, and cost-effective service delivery.
Despite these promising opportunities, significant challenges impede widespread mHealth implementation in Nigeria. Major barriers include limited digital literacy, inconsistent power supply and internet connectivity, financing constraints, regulatory and policy gaps, data privacy concerns, and cultural resistance to digital health technologies. These challenges were reported in the majority of reviewed studies, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address systemic and contextual limitations.
In conclusion, mHealth technologies hold considerable potential to enhance cardiovascular disease prevention and management in Nigeria. However, realizing their full benefits requires coordinated policy support, infrastructure development, capacity building, and culturally sensitive implementation strategies. Addressing these barriers is essential for leveraging mHealth as a sustainable and equitable solution to Nigeria’s growing cardiovascular disease burden.