THE ROLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES IN COMMUNITY-BASED NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE MANAGEMENT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EFFECTIVENESS, CHALLENGES AND POLICY IMPLICATION

Background: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer are a growing public health concern in Nigeria, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Despite the critical role public health nurses (PHNs) play in community-based health promotion and disease prevention, their inclusion in NCD prevention and management strategies remains limited, particularly in Delta State. Recognizing the increasing NCD burden and the need for coordinated responses, there is a compelling need to assess the extent of PHN involvement and inform the development of a plan to optimize their roles in NCD care. Objectives: This systematic review aimed to examine existing literature on the roles, inclusion, and contributions of public health nurses in the prevention and management of NCDs. It also sought to identify barriers and enablers to their effective engagement and to inform the design of a context-specific plan for Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across five major databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Scopus, and the African Journals Online (AJOJ) for studies published between 2020 and 2025. Keywords and Boolean operators such as "public health nurses", "non-communicable diseases", "NCD prevention", "NCD management", and "Nigeria" were used. Titles and abstracts were screened based on predetermined eligibility criteria. Full-text articles were assessed for relevance and methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Data were extracted and synthesized thematically to identify patterns, key findings, and gaps relevant to the strategic development of PHN roles in NCD control. Result: The review found PHNs face training, resource, and policy gaps but demonstrated effectiveness in community engagement, highlighting the need for empowerment, integration, and policy inclusion to strengthen NCD management in Delta State