IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg/v53y2022i2p376-395.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Between Philanthropy and Big Business: The Rise of mHealth in the Global Health Market

Author

Listed:
  • Marine Al Dahdah

Abstract

With more than 7 billion mobile connections in 2017, mobile phones have become the most widespread communication technology worldwide. From appointment reminders to mobile glucometers, healthcare systems are increasingly using mobile technologies to improve healthcare. These programmes, called ‘mHealth’, contribute to the present shift in international health described by many scholars as ‘global health’. The dynamics of globalization and commodification associated with global health are used to justify and encourage the spread of technical devices such as mHealth in the global South. Deployed by global players to respond to global challenges, mHealth engages strong participation by private actors. Based on the ethnography of an mHealth programme implemented in Africa and Asia, this article analyses the broader impact of mHealth initiatives on the contours of public health systems. It focuses specifically on power dynamics, philanthropic and market interests underlying the expansion of these new technical artefacts in the global South. It shows that advocates of mHealth play a major role in the commodification of health by addressing health issues as marketing cases and considering developing countries as untapped markets. It highlights how mHealth contributes to the creation of private health markets at the bottom of the pyramid in the global South that benefit the Northern digital economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Marine Al Dahdah, 2022. "Between Philanthropy and Big Business: The Rise of mHealth in the Global Health Market," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(2), pages 376-395, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:53:y:2022:i:2:p:376-395
    DOI: 10.1111/dech.12497
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12497
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/dech.12497?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mann, Laura, 2018. "Left to other peoples’ devices? A political economy perspective on the big data revolution in development," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 85057, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Emily Aiken & Suzanne Bellue & Dean Karlan & Christopher R. Udry & Joshua Blumenstock, 2021. "Machine Learning and Mobile Phone Data Can Improve the Targeting of Humanitarian Assistance," NBER Working Papers 29070, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Ali Bhagat & Leanne Roderick, 2020. "Banking on refugees: Racialized expropriation in the fintech era," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(8), pages 1498-1515, November.
    3. Viera Magalhães, João & Couldry, Nick, 2021. "Giving by taking away: big tech, data colonialism and the reconfiguration of social good," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107516, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Julien Mercille, 2021. "Inclusive Smart Cities: Beyond Voluntary Corporate Data Sharing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-13, July.
    5. Xing Wei, 2024. "Data-Driven Revolution: Advancing Scientific and Technological Innovation in Chinese A-Share Listed Companies," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 9975-10002, September.
    6. Caroline E. Schuster, 2021. "‘Risky Data’ for Inclusive Microinsurance Infrastructures," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(4), pages 780-804, July.
    7. Manby, Bronwen, 2021. "The Sustainable Development Goals and ‘legal identity for all’: ‘First, do no harm’," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    8. Heimerl, Veronika & Raza, Werner, 2018. "Digitalization and development cooperation: An assessment of the debate and its implications for policy," Briefing Papers 19, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE).
    9. Anita Gurumurthy & Nandini Chami, 2019. "Development Justice in the Digital Paradigm: Agenda 2030 and Beyond," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 62(1), pages 19-28, December.
    10. Omar Abu Hassim & Ismah Osman & Asmah Awal & Fhaisol Mat Amin, 2024. "Navigating the Path to Equitable and Sustainable Digital Agriculture among Small Farmers in Malaysia: A Comprehensive Review," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 16(2), pages 173-188.
    11. Laura Mann & Gianluca Iazzolino, 2021. "From Development State to Corporate Leviathan: Historicizing the Infrastructural Performativity of Digital Platforms within Kenyan Agriculture," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(4), pages 829-854, July.
    12. Elisabeth Simelton & Mariette McCampbell, 2021. "Do Digital Climate Services for Farmers Encourage Resilient Farming Practices? Pinpointing Gaps through the Responsible Research and Innovation Framework," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-27, September.
    13. Mann, Laura & Iazzolino, Gianluca, 2021. "From development state to corporate leviathan: historicizing the infrastructural performativity of digital platforms within Kenyan agriculture," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 110725, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Sarah Godschall & Virginia Smith & Jonathan Hubler & Peleg Kremer, 2020. "A Decision Process for Optimizing Multi-Hazard Shelter Location Using Global Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-20, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:53:y:2022:i:2:p:376-395. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0012-155X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.