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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Washington, D.C., 8 November 2013 (PAHO/WHO) – Some 3.6 billion diagnostic x-rays are made each year around the world, but there is wide disparity in radiological diagnosis rates between countries of different income levels. Many patients in low-income countries lack access to even basic forms of imaging such as ultrasound and x-rays, which alone can address 80-90% of common diseases and conditions.
On World Radiology Day, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is highlighting the importance of equitable access to radiology services in its member countries in the Americas.
“Radiological services are an essential component of health care,” said Pablo Jimenez, Regional Advisor in Radiological Health. “Ensuring access to their benefits is critical to the quality and effectiveness of health care.”
In the Americas, radiological diagnosis rates vary widely across countries. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 22 countries considered to have an intermediate level of healthcare development perform some 400 radiological studies per 1,000 population annually. Countries of the region that have low levels of healthcare development average only 30 such studies per 1,000 yearly. In contrast, high-income countries perform some 1,700 studies per 1,000 population annually, or over 50 times more than lower-income countries.
Radiology services play a central role in many areas of health care, from maternal-child health to infectious and noncommunicable diseases. Mammography, for example, is critical for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Yet available data on mammography in Latin America and the Caribbean show generally low rates of coverage.
Other examples of the uses of radiology services include:
- Ultrasound technology is highly effective for diagnosing fetal growth restriction, placenta previa, multiple gestations, obstructed labor and congenital anomalies, as well as a number of tropical diseases and pathological conditions commonly found in low-income countries.
- Radiographic analysis is animportant tool in diagnosing severe pneumonia, as it can differentiate between bacterial and viral etiologies and determine whether complications are present.
- Chest radiography is highly effective for screening and diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.
- Radiological services are critical for diagnosis and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other noncommunicable diseases, which affect some 200 million people in the Americas.
“On World Radiology Day, we are calling on countries to strive for wider access to radiology services for their populations, and we’re encouraging health professionals, authorities and experts to work together to promote the proper and efficient use of these technologies to improve the health of all people in the Americas,” said Jimenez.
PAHO and partner organizations including the Inter-American College of Radiology (ICR), the Latin American Association of Medical Physics (ALFIM), the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists (ISRRT), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), RAD-AID International and Rotary International are providing radiology units and guidance and developing human resources to improve radiology services in PAHO member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
LINKS:
PAHO technical cooperation in radiological services
www.paho.org/
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