A Practical Arrangement has been signed between the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the IAEA which sets out a framework for cooperation between the two organizations in the following areas:
- Quality assurance in radiation medicine,
- Medical physics,
- Radiological safety, security and emergencies,
- Cancer control,
- Non-communicable diseases,
- Nutrition,
- Environmental health,
- Health personnel development, and
- Health information and knowledge management.
Concluded between Mr Cornel Feruta, Chief Coordinator at the IAEA’s Director General's Office for Coordination, and Ms Carissa F. Etienne, Director, PAHO, the Arrangement outlines areas for collaboration between the two organizations in the field of human health in Latin America and the Caribbean. It reaffirms the importance of partnerships as a way of promoting integrated approaches to development, supporting a more effective technical cooperation programme, and also ensuring coordination and complementarity of activities.
The Agreement was signed by the IAEA on 1 June 2017 on the margins of the first International Conference on the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, in the presence of Mr Pablo Jiménez, PAHO’s Regional Advisor in Radiological Health.
For over 40 years, IAEA and PAHO/WHO have collaborated in medical applications, radiation safety, regulation, nutrition and other related areas of interest. Since 2012, both organizations have concluded agreements to work more closely to ensure safety and quality assurance in the areas of radiation medicine, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Under the new Arrangement, the two organizations will continue working together to assist countries in training and capacity building, strengthened research efforts; and the exchange and dissemination of information. The Practical Arrangement is for a period of four years and can be extended by mutual agreement.