Information and communication technology development and health gap nexus in Africa.

Introduction: Development of information and communication technology has been identified as a tool for fast and effective information gathering and dissemination, and as a means through which almost every social and economic sector (including the health sector) could achieve economic, operational, and service delivery efficiencies that can enable the realization of targeted outcomes. ICT can serve as a tool for achieving international agreements (including the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978), thereby accelerating the achievement of various global development targets. Methods: Consequently, based on a sample of 38 countries from 2000 to 2018, this study investigates the effect of ICT development on the health gap, and whether the effect varies by gender and sub-region in Africa. The dependent variable (health gap) was measured as the difference between the achieved life expectancy at birth of 60 years and the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978 targeted life expectancy at birth of 60 years. The main independent variables are ICT indicators (ICT index, mobile cellular subscriptions, and internet access), while the gross domestic product (GDP), which is the measure of economic growth, healthcare expenditure, urbanization, and labor market outcome, is employed as control variables. The effect was examined using Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), and panel-corrected standard error (PCSE). Results and discussion: The findings of the Driscoll-Kraay standard errors estimation technique supported by those of FGLS and PCSE suggest that ICT does act as an indispensable stimulator for Africa to significantly exceed the international health target of life expectancy at birth of 60 years. It can be concluded that African leaders need to take advantage and maximize the health-enhancing potential of the internet component of ICT through relevant policies that would improve internet coverage, connectivity, and access for individuals and health institutions.

Behavioral Risk Factor and Primary Healthcare Utilization in South Africa.

(1) Background: An effective and efficient primary healthcare service is one of the reforms designed to achieve universal healthcare coverage. The success of the reform however depends on the ability to identify factors that could undermine through avoidable use, the effectiveness of various deployed scarce resources. The prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle risk factors that have been identified as a critical public health issue, which stimulate vulnerability and mortality through the development of non-communicable diseases, also have implications for government health spending through healthcare utilization. (2) Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of behavioral risk factors on primary healthcare utilization in South Africa. (3) Methods: Using the NIDS wave 4 data set and a binary logistic estimation technique, the study is premised on a modified Anderson model of health service utilization. (4) Results: The binary logistic regression estimation results clearly show the intercepting effect of smoking in public primary healthcare utilization. Equally, the effect of these lifestyle behavior risk factors on public PHC is evident in urban communities. (5) Conclusion: This study suggests that there is a need to intensify awareness on the health effect of smoking; strengthen and broaden law that bans smoking; and introduce the screening of smoking patients for recurring counselling sessions and intervention at primary healthcare facilities in the country's urban communities.