The IAEA supports the safe and secure use of ionizing radiation by medical professionals and works to strengthen the radiation protection of patients. Beginning on 15 June, the IAEA will host a series of webinars to provide both medical professionals and members of African regulatory bodies for radiation safety with an understanding of the medical exposure regulations requirements of the International Basic Safety Standards. Organized through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, the webinars will provide information on how to address radiation protection in medical exposure in the Agency’s Radiation Safety Information Management System (RASIMS).
Given the challenges of organizing training courses during the COVID-19 pandemic, IAEA support in the area of radiation protection and medical exposure has moved to a digital platform.
“Webinars are just one facet of an evolving strategy to ensure uninterrupted support to countries in the region,” said Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director for the IAEA Technical Cooperation Division for Africa.
At the first three webinars, international experts will clarify the overall legal and regulatory framework required for radiation protection in medical exposure. The experts will furthermore describe training and education requirements for medical professionals, addressing specific questions related to women of childbearing age, record-keeping and the reporting of unintended or accidental exposure to patients, workers and the public.
Future webinars are planned to address specific requirements in imaging and therapy applications for radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy.
The webinar series will begin on 15 June, and will cover the following elements:
- Session 1: Governmental and legal framework for radiation protection in medical exposure (15 June)
- Legal and regulatory framework
- Legal and regulatory framework
- Session 2: Governmental and legal framework for radiation protection in medical exposure (17 June)
- Training and education
- Female patients
- Session 3: Governmental and legal framework for radiation protection in medical exposure (19 June)
- Optimization
- Unintended or accidental medical exposures
- Records
Future webinars are planned on the following topics:
- Session 4: Justification in diagnostic imaging
- Session 5: Optimization in Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional radiography
- Session 6: Nuclear Medicine
- Session 7: Radiotherapy
