Throughout the 30 years of successful cooperation between the regional Co-operation Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARCAL) and the IAEA's technical cooperation programme, many successful projects with extensive impact in the region have been carried out. A notable example, carried out within the frame of project RLA/6/062, aimed to consolidate tissue banks in Latin America and enhance radiation sterilization of tissue allografts. The project stands out for the direct contribution it has made to the development of the region.
The project, coordinated by Brazil and implemented between 2009 and 2012, supported the strengthening of existing and new tissue banks in thirteen countries in Latin America by harmonizing and standardizing tissue banking activities and improving quality management systems. The introduction of state-of-the-art procedures to sterilize tissue using nuclear technology helped to significantly reduce the number of skin transplant rejections in patients with major burns and other skin injuries.
The IAEA Cooperates with ARCAL to Upgrade Tissue Banks in Latin America to Treat Severe Burns and Other Skin Injuries
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Training tissue bank technicians
The project also resulted in the production of a code of practice for the sterilization by irradiation of human tissues for clinical use, and guidelines for the operation of tissues banks. These publications are now regarded as important references, and are widely used by medical establishments that treat severe skin injuries. The regional project led to the formulation of several national projects which helped further consolidate tissues banks, drawing on the experience gained from the regional initiative.
The accompanying film allows the end-users of the project results to explain how nuclear technology has contributed to upgrading the quality and reliability of tissue bank operations in the region. The film was made by communication experts from the Latin American region, who interviewed and filmed the women and men featured within the framework of the IAEA's technical cooperation project RLA/0/046. This project aims to increase the visibility and impact of ARCAL project results through the establishment of a specialized communication network in Latin America, and aims to actively use communication about technical cooperation projects to support sustainable development.