Telecommunications, Public Health, and Demand for Health-Related Information and Infrastructure

The paper investigates the proposition that complementarities exist between information technologies and public health promotion. The results of the cross-country analysis indicate that an increase in the stock of telecommunications infrastructure is positively correlated with an improved health status of the population. To integrate more realism into the macrolevel analysis, the paper utilizes household surveys conducted in two emerging market economies: Bangladesh and Laos. The analysis at the household level shows that a basic telephone service offers opportunities in delivering timely information on health services to households with relatively greater demand for this type of information. Telephone access is also associated with an increased demand for telecommunications infrastructure and medical facilities.