Support for IAEA activities related to food safety and radiation medicine in the Middle East have been strengthened through the signing of Practical Arrangements between the IAEA and the Ministry of Public Health of Qatar. The Practical Arrangements, signed on 9 November, bring together the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to support Qatar’s convening role as an international hub for food safety and radiation medicine. The agreement focuses on improving radiation medicine for the treatment of cancer and other non-communicable diseases, and on bolstering food safety by building capacity to monitor and identify food contaminants.
“Now, ten years after its first technical cooperation project, the Food Safety Laboratory shows the potential to be a hub for training in the food safety discipline and associated research. To conclude, the Ministry of Public Health and the Hamad Medical Corporation also wish to confirm their commitment and readiness to become an IAEA Collaborating Centre or Anchor Centre for Rays of Hope. Priority for capacity building using these centres will be given to Least Developed Countries (LDCs),” said Assistant Minister Salih Al-Marri, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar at the signing ceremony.
The State of Qatar has already made a tangible commitment to supporting LDCs, announcing a contribution of $50 million to help build resilience in LDCs in March 2023 at the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries. In less than a year, the Practical Arrangements, including a corresponding implementation action plan, were developed to help turn this support into a reality. Under the new Practical Arrangements, experts from IAEA Member States, including LDCs, will be trained in food safety at Qatar’s Central Food Laboratory, and on radiation medicine in its hospitals.
“This Practical Arrangement aims to contribute to the enhancement of the quality of healthcare in other countries, especially Least Developed Countries. It is a good milestone and step forward in making concrete what was discussed earlier this year during the LDC5 Conference in Doha,” said IAEA Deputy Director Hua Liu.
