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Public Health & Epidemiology vocabulary · Global Health and Health Systems

Low- and middle-income countries

Meaning in public health & epidemiology, with examples

nounCommon term

In public health & epidemiology, low- and middle-income countries means: Countries classified by the World Bank as having low, lower-middle or upper-middle income per person, a grouping widely used in global health research and funding.

In Turkish: düşük ve orta gelirli ülkeler

How it is used

Shortened to LMICs. The term has largely replaced older labels such as 'developing countries' or 'the Third World'. The World Bank updates its classification every year, so a country can move from one group to another.

Example sentences

  1. Most deaths from cervical cancer now occur in low- and middle-income countries.

  2. The grant supports researchers based in low- and middle-income countries.

Common collocations

  • LMICs
  • high-income countries
  • resource-limited settings
  • Global South
  • universal health coverageA situation in which everyone can use the good-quality health services they need, from prevention to treatment and care, without suffering financial hardship.
  • Sustainable Development GoalsSeventeen global goals adopted by all UN member states in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and improve lives by 2030; Goal 3 is about health and well-being.
  • burden of diseaseThe total impact of a disease or health problem on a population, measured by deaths, illness, disability and sometimes economic cost.
  • WHOShort for the World Health Organization, the United Nations agency for international public health, founded in 1948 and based in Geneva.

More terms: Global Health and Health Systems

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.