Exploring the impact of information communication on life expectancy and mortality: Evidence from South Asian economies

This study using a panel dataset, spanning from 1971 to 2020, and based on South Asian countries. For the empirical analysis tested both fixed-effect and random-effect techniques, but the Hausman test suggested fixed fixed-effect model is best fitted for this analysis. Additionally, addressing the endogeneity problem, we applied the two-stage least squares method because in panel data, it’s a common problem. For measuring ICT using fixed telephone subscriptions and Fixed broadband subscriptions, which is widely used in the literature. The findings show that the coefficient of Fixed broadband subscriptions (FBS) is positive and significant relationship with life expectancy, indicating that if one unit increase in Fixed broadband subscriptions leads to an increase life expectancy by 0.201 years, while the same indicator has a negative and significant impact on mortality rate. The coefficient indicates that a one unit increase in the FBS leads to a decrease mortality rate by 1.268 per 1000 live births. Similarly, the second indicator, Fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS), also has a positive influence on life expectancy and a negative influence on the Infant mortality rate. The results show that due to information and communication technologies, health facilities have significantly improved. Other variables such as GDP per capita, physicians, CO2 emissions, and School enrollment have a statistically significant relationship that aligns with economic theories. Based on findings, this study recommends some policy advice to developing countries, especially South Asian economies, that governments should focus on expanding digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas where health care access remains limited.