Abstract
Debate regarding the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on health outcomes has prompted researchers to conduct analyses across many parts of the globe, yet, still little is known about the ICT impact in the African continent. Using a robust multivariate approach, this study examined system-wide impact of ICT diffusion on multiple health outcomes for HIV and tuberculosis among sovereign countries of Africa. This study utilized longitudinal panel data from the World Bank and International Telecommunication Union databases between 2000 and 2016. We relied on a robust linear dynamic panel model to incorporate lagged time variables to estimate the relationships between ICT infrastructure (mobile phone use, internet access, and fixed-telephone subscriptions) and HIV and tuberculosis outcomes. Econometric analyses found that the coefficients of the aggregate ICT variables were all negative (except for fixed telephones) for tuberculosis health measures and HIV prevalence, and positive for access to antiretroviral therapy. The diffusion of mobile phones and internet was associated with decreased incidence of tuberculosis, HIV prevalence, and tuberculosis mortality rates. However, increased diffusion of these three ICT tools was associated with increased access to antiretroviral therapy. Thus, African governments should identify investment strategies for adopting and implementing ICT to improve population health outcomes.
Highlights
Discussions regarding the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on population health have continued to gain traction over the past decades
Our objective was to quantify the impact of ICT infrastructure diffusion on HIV and TB health measures among the African population
The average prevalence of HIV per 100,000 population was 5.44, and the mean antiretroviral therapy (ART) access rate was 14 patients per 100,000 people living with HIV
Summary
Discussions regarding the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on population health have continued to gain traction over the past decades. World Bank defines ICT as a group of activities that involves the capturing, processing, storing, transmitting, and displaying of information by electronic means [1]. Common devices used in ICT include fixed-telephone lines, computers, wireless electronic gadgets (mobile phones), and internet subscriptions [1,2]. This study focused on mobile phone use, fixed-telephone subscriptions, and internet access. Driven by the belief that ICT has opportunities to improve health and healthcare qualities of life, international organizations, including development agencies, have encouraged the use of ICT infrastructure in the health sector [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014 proposed
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