Three Essays on Development Economics

This dissertation is a collection of three independent essays on development economics. The first chapter synthesizes key studies across disciplines up to 2024 on why the take-up of health interventions is low in developing countries. This chapter shows that, in the short run, prices are the critical determinant of health intervention uptake. Short-run subsidies also increase long-term adoption by facilitating individuals' learning about interventions and their benefits. I also discuss how nonprice factors such as gendered aspects of usage, health-related stigma, and distrust in formal medical practices explain low take-up.

The second chapter evaluates the impact of a door-to-door community health welfare initiative in Pakistan---the Lady Health Worker Program (LHWP)---on women’s health-seeking behaviors. Health-seeking behaviors are measured by (i) health-related perceptions and information and (ii) utilization of formal healthcare services. To identify a causal effect, I use inverse probability weighting (IPW) matching with the regression adjustment model. Identification is based on my distinguishing key determinants that explain household selection in the program. I find that beneficiary women have significantly better HIV-related information and perceptions than nonbeneficiary women. The program positively impacts contraception use, prenatal care, and delivery at formal healthcare centers but has no significant effect on attendance of postnatal child health checkups. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that wealthier, more educated, and younger women are more aware of HIV-related information and less likely to hold misconceptions about HIV. However, utilization of formal healthcare services remains similar across wealth and age brackets.

In the third chapter, I examine the impact of an app-based marketplace on supply chain inefficiencies in nanostores in Pakistan. The country’s retail sector is highly fragmented, and despite nanostores’ ubiquitous presence, they face significant operational challenges, particularly in supply chain management. Collecting survey data from 745 nanostores in Lahore and using an instrumental variable (IV) approach, I show that active users of the app have improved price observability and are better able to match the lowest price than inactive users. However, I observe a reduced likelihood of active users’ demand orders being fulfilled by their suppliers. The analysis also reveals that the benefits of technology are not uniformly distributed: Active app users in rich neighborhoods with better access to roads have a significant increase in profits and are better able to meet their household consumption needs. This study contributes by providing empirical evidence on the effects of technology on nanostore operational efficiency through reductions in supply chain inefficiencies in a developing-economy context.

This work is important because it explores the impact of both state-level and private-sector programs on the economic outcomes of women and bottom-of-pyramid low-income retailers in Pakistan. The academic literature that explores these channels is limited in the case of Pakistan. It is important to understand how these interventions impact their beneficiaries given the economic and social challenges they face in the context of a developing economy.