Economic classification of developing nations

RAD-AID has adopted The World Bank criteria for measuring economic development. The World Bank classifies the economies of its 187 member countries into 4 groups based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita calculated using the World Bank Atlas method. The Atlas conversion factor limits the impact of exchange rate fluctuations that can confound comparisons of national incomes. Every national economy is classified as low income, middle income (subdivided into lower middle and upper middle), or high income. Low and middle income groups are pooled and referred to as developing economies. Again, the term “developing” is in many ways euphemistic and does not take into account the sometimes vast differences in economic, infrastructure, and social development between different developing nations. RAD-AID uses the term as a useful way to focus our attention on nations outside of the high income group, frame discussion and start planning. When comparisons between nations are needed, we try to compare developing nations to peer nations within the same World Bank economic category.

GNI per capita-Atlas is reported in current US Dollars. The statistics are recalculated every year as are the criteria for the 4 groups. For 2009, the 4 income groups are depicted on the world map to the right. A quick survey of the map demonstrates the following:

1. Most low income nations are on the continent of Africa. The remaining low income nations are in Central and Southeast Asia.
2. Most South and Central American nations are in the upper middle income category.
3. China and India, the two most populous nations, are both in the lower middle income category.
4. If low and middle income nations are considered “developing”, then most of the world’s nations are developing countries.

NEXT TIME: Relationship between the economic development of nations and their public health.

What is the “developing world”

The term “developing nation” is at once useful and euphemistic. The term is useful because it reliably predicts important social measures such as population growth, under-5 mortality, maternal mortality, access to health care, education, and access to safe drinking water. Knowing the development status of a nation helps frame aid projects and resource allocation. Furthermore, the widespread use and familiarity of “developing nation” among the lay population is also useful because it allows easier communication between non-profit organizations like RAD-AID and the public. However, the term “developing” is also euphemistic since the least developed nations are often not developing in any significant measurable way and, sometimes, even have shrinking economies and standards of living.

Some consider “developing” a pejorative and derogatory term.  They have proposed other terms, including “lesser developed”, “under developed” and “least developed”. In the end, the terminology is less important than the criteria used to define it.  At RAD-AID, we prefer the term “developing world” because of its widespread use and understanding in the lay public. RAD-AID has adopted the per capita income based World Bank criteria for developing nations, which I will describe in the next blog post. On occasion, RAD-AID will also refer to he United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI is a single statistic (from 0 to 1) that reflects both economic and social development.

NOTE: “Third World” is an outmoded term and no longer used in the field of international development; not because of a pejorative connotation, but because of its origin as a geopolitical divider and lack of specific criteria measuring economic, infrastructure, or social development. During the Cold War, the Liberal West and NATO comprised the ”First World”, the Soviet Bloc comprised the ”Second World”, and the majority of other nations were grouped as “Third World.”

NEXT TIME: Stratification of nations based on Gross National Income (GNI)

What is international radiology development?

As it turns out, answering that question is not easy.  In a very simple sense, “international radiology development” is the process of advancing the state of medical radiology throughout the world in general and the developing world in particular.  But what does this “process” entail?  What are the criteria, benchmarks and standards we use (or should use) to define “advancing”?  How is the “state” of medical radiology defined? And perhaps most fundamentally, what is the “developing world” and why should we care about developing radiology there?

I will be presenting RAD-AID’s answers to these questions in upcoming Journal Club blog posts.  The next few postings will lay the groundwork for how we will approach identifying, selecting, reviewing, and discussing the body of literature in the field of international radiology development.  But before we discuss our first Journal Club paper, we need to answer the above rhetorical questions– beginning with defining “developing nation“.