Abstract
Diagnostic imaging technologies have changed the way physicians both diagnose and manage patients. Unfortunately, as per the World Health Organization (WHO), almost two-thirds of the world, primarily in developing countries, lacks access to basic imaging technology. Clearly a shocking statistic, it puts into the limelight another key point: How does one define “access?” This chapter begins by exploring the various aspects that make up the term “access” before delving into not only what diagnostic technologies are essential in the developing world but also how the WHO has gone about measuring access to imaging technology around the world. In addition, it sheds light on the steps that remain to determine the overall gap in adequate access to diagnostic imaging technology. By understanding what has been done and what remains to be done, one can construct a better picture of how to close the gap in access to imaging technology around the word.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andronikou S, McHugh K, Abdurahman N, Khoury B, Mngomezulu V, Brant WE, et al. Paediatric radiology seen from Africa. Part I: providing diagnostic imaging to a young population. Pediatr Radiol. 2011;41(7):811–25.
Baddeley H, Saltzman GF. Radiology in developing countries: a survey of radiological resources in the South Pacific Islands. Australas Radiol. 1987;31(3): 228–31.
Baseline Country Survey on Medical Devices, 2010. World Health Organization; 2011. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2011/WHO_HSS_EHT_DIM_11.01_eng.pdf. Accessed 25 July 2013.
Baseline Country Survey on Medical Devices, 2010: Questionnaire. World Health Organization; 2011. http://www.who.int/diagnostic_imaging/activities/en/. Accessed 25 July 2013.
Brederhoff J, Racoveanu NT. Radiological services throughout the world. Diagn Imaging. 1982;51: 121–33.
Essential Diagnostic Imaging. Department of Essential Health Technologies, World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/eht/en/diagnosticimaging.pdf. Accessed 8 Aug 2013. (22).
First WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices: context, outcomes, and future actions. World Health Organization; 2011. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2011/WHO_HSS_EHT_DIM_11.11_eng.pdf. Accessed 25 July 2013.
Frost LJ, Reich MR. Access: how do good health technologies get to poor people in poor countries? Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 2008. http://www.accessbook.org/downloads/AccessBook.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug 2013.
Fuchs WA. Radiology in developing countries. Investig Radiol. 1991;26(10):906–9.
Global Strategy for Health for All by the year 2000. World Health Organization; 1981. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/9241800038.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug 2013.
Leggat PA. Basic radiological system: a case study in appropriate technology for better health. Aust J Rural Health. 1997;5:87–9.
Local Production and Technology Transfer to Increase Access to Medical Devices: addressing the barriers and challenges in low- and middle-income countries. World Health Organization; 2012. http://www.who.int/medical_devices/1240EHT_final.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug 2013.
Maru DS, Schwarz R, Andrews J, Basu S, Sharma A, Moore C. Turning a blind eye: the mobilization of radiology services in resource-poor regions. Glob Health. 2010;6:18. doi:10.1186/1744-8603-6-18.
Medical Equipment. Global Health Observatory Data Repository, World Health Organization; 2013. http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.509?lang=en. Accessed 1 Aug 2013.
Mindel S. Role of imager in developing world. Lancet. 1997;349:426–9.
Monitoring The Building Blocks of Health Systems: A Handbook of Indicators and their Measurement Strategies. World Health Organization; 2010. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/systems/WHO_MBHSS_2010_full_web.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug 2013.
Needs assessment for medical devices: WHO Medical device technical series. World Health Organization; 2011. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241501385_eng.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug 2013.
Ostensen H, Volodin V. Diagnostic imaging in developing countries: considerations for improvement. Team of Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory Technology, World Health Organization. Eur Radiol. 2000;10 Suppl 3:397–8.
Palmer PE. Radiology in the developing world. Br J Radiol. 1984;57(682):853–6.
Palmer PE, Hanson GP. Diagnostic imaging in the community: a manual for clinics and small hospitals, 2011. In: Honey-Buckman J, editor. Pan-American Health Organization, World Health Organization. 2011. http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=14116&Itemid=>. Accessed 25 July 2013.
Sippel S, Muruganandan K, Levine A, Shah S. Review article: use of ultrasound in the developing world. Int J Emerg Med. 2011;4:72. doi:10.1186/1865-1380-4-72.
Technical discussions: the role of medical devices and equipment in contemporary health care systems and services. 53rd Session, Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, World Health Organization; 2006. http://gis.emro.who.int/HealthSystemObservatory/PDF/TechnicalandDiscussionPapers/The%20role%20of%20medical%20devices%20and%20equipment%20in.pdf. Accessed 5 Aug 2013.
The Global Burden of Disease: 2004 update. World Health Organization; 2008. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/GBD_report_2004update_full.pdf. Accessed 25 July 2013.
WHO Publications. Diagnostic Imaging, World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/diagnostic_imaging/publications/en/. Accessed 25 July 2013.
World Health Statistics 2013. World Health Organization; 2013. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/81965/1/9789241564588_eng.pdf. Accessed 25 July 2013.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Shah, N. (2014). Access to Imaging Technology in the Developing World. In: Mollura, D., Lungren, M. (eds) Radiology in Global Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0604-4_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0604-4_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-0603-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-0604-4
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)