Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a rising public health concern in low-resource settings, where limited 
infrastructure and workforce shortages hinder effective screening, diagnosis, and management. Poorly controlled 
GDM increased risks of maternal complications, neonatal morbidity, and long-term metabolic disease. Digital health 
interventions, including mobile health (mHealth) applications, telemedicine, decision-support systems, and wearable 
technologies, have emerged as innovative strategies to improve GDM management by enhancing access to care, 
supporting patient self-monitoring, and enabling remote clinician engagement. The purpose of this review was to 
synthesize evidence on the clinical efficacy and implementation of digital health interventions for GDM in low
resource settings. A narrative synthesis was conducted by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for 
articles published between 2012 and 2025, focusing on randomized controlled trials, implementation studies, and 
high-quality reviews relevant to digital health and GDM. Findings indicated that mobile platforms for glucose 
monitoring and lifestyle counseling improve glycemic control, with reported mean reductions in fasting blood 
glucose of 0.4–0.8 mmol/L and HbA1c reductions of up to 0.5% compared with standard care. Telemedicine and 
community-based digital tools also improved adherence to medical nutrition therapy and facilitated timely insulin 
initiation. Challenges included limited connectivity, device affordability, literacy barriers, and lack of tailored content 
for local populations. Evidence supports the potential of digital health interventions to mitigate structural gaps in 
GDM management, provided they are integrated into broader health system strengthening initiatives. 
Keywords: Gestational diabetes, Digital health, Low-resource settings, Telemedicine, Mobile health