Bonn Call for Action platform

The Bonn Call for Action seeks to foster coordinated work to address issues arising in radiation protection in medicine. It was issued at an IAEA-organized 2012 international conference held in Bonn, Germany, and strengtened at the follow-up conference in Vienna, Austria in 2017. The 2012 conference aimed to:

  • indicate gaps in current approaches to radiation protection in medicine; 
  • identify tools for improving radiation protection in medicine; 
  • review advances, challenges and opportunities in the field of radiation protection in medicine;
  • assess the impact of the International Action Plan for the Radiation Protection of Patients, in order to prepare new international recommendations, taking into account newer developments. 

International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine: Achieving Change in Practice (11–15 December 2017)

The 2017 Conference reviewed actions taken and developments since the 2012 Bonn conference. 534 participants from 97 countries and 16 international organizations agreed that intensified work in the area of radiation protection in medicine is conducted in response to the Bonn Call for Action, which provides for a decade long global roadmap on radiation protection in medicine.

Speakers' presentations →

Contributed papers:

International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine - Setting the Scene for the Next Decade (3 - 7 December 2012)

The conference’s 536 participants from 77 countries and 16 international organizations agreed on the Bonn Call for Action, which identifies main actions essential to strengthening radiation protection in medicine. The IAEA and the WHO issued a joint statement on the Call, at conference participants’ request.

The Bonn Call for Action highlights 10 actions and specifies related sub-actions and encourages all stakeholders to take part. Though the actions are numbered, they not listed in order of importance.

Read the Statement in EnglishRussianSpanish or Portuguese.

10 proposed actions

  1. Enhance the implementation of the principle of justification
  2. Enhance the implementation of the principle of optimization of protection and safety
  3. Strengthen manufacturers’ role in contributing to the overall safety regime
  4. Strengthen radiation protection education and training of health professionals
  5. Shape and promote a strategic research agenda for radiation protection in medicine
  6. Increase availability of improved global information on medical exposures and occupational exposures in medicine
  7. Improve prevention of medical radiation incidents and accidents
  8. Strengthen radiation safety culture in health care
  9. Foster an improved radiation benefit-risk-dialogue
  10. Strengthen the implementation of safety requirements globally

See how international organizations and associations have launched specific actions to support 10 proposed actions in the Bonn Call for Action.

Brochure

A brochure, presenting 10 actions and related sub-actions to improve radiation protection in medicine in the next decade, has been developed and can be downloaded freely from both the IAEA and World Health Organisation website.

View the full brochure in English and Portuguese.