Nuclear medicine (NM) imaging has played a pivotal role in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of disease for decades, and every year, research and technological advances expand its potential applications. To stay abreast of the latest advances in the field and to ensure their compliance to the relevant radiation safety measures, more than 60 practicing NM physicians, NM technologists, medical physicists and radiopharmacists from 19 African countries attended a four-day IAEA regional training course from 2 to 5 November 2020. Held virtually, the event was supported by a panel of experts from Algeria, South Africa, Italy and the USA, who shared their knowledge and experience with the participating nuclear medicine practitioners.
In oncology, cardiology, neurology and a host of other clinical fields, NM professionals are routinely required to investigate and diagnose disease, and often to treat patients. As new trends and developments in the discipline continue to broaden the potential of nuclear medicine, the IAEA continues to deliver training and support through its technical cooperation (TC) programme[1] to help countries leverage that potential safely and effectively.
Across four days, the participants learned about clinical aspects of NM, new developments in training and education, quality assurance and radiation safety, and emerging challenges in the field.
