In Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries the main channels of morbidity and mortality are preventable and treatable diseases. Yet, SSA countries invest little in preventive healthcare. Literature has shown that providing health information can have an impact on health behaviors. The arrival of optic fiber submarine cables in 2010 brought broadband connectivity to Senegal, allowing access to healthcare information online. Using the Demographic and Health Surveys datasets combined with the Afterfibre database, and a difference-in-differences methodology, this study aims to assess the impact of the arrival of broadband internet on preventive health behaviors in Senegal. Broadband access is found to be positively associated with the use of bednet, mixed results are found regarding the use of antenatal care and child immunization. If the positive impacts of internet access are confirmed, the expansion of broadband internet could be important to improve health.

Citation: Kergall, P. & Guiffard, J.-B. (2024). Impact of Broadband Internet on Preventive Healthcare Behaviours in Senegal. Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, 542, 99–123. doi : 10.24187/ecostat.2024.542.2113