Thirty-two African health professionals from 19 countries are now qualified to serve as quality auditors for diagnostic radiology services after completing the first IAEA Quality Assurance Audit for Diagnostic Radiology Improvement and Learning (QUAADRIL) training course for specialists from across the continent.
The training took place in June at the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna as part of a regional technical cooperation project to strengthen the capabilities of radiation health professionals and centres under the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA).
The weeklong course equipped participants with the knowledge to serve as auditors and to train others on the IAEA’s QUAADRIL methodology. Ghana will be the first country to benefit from the initiative, with a QUAADRIL audit mission scheduled for 17 to 21 November to support national efforts to improve clinical practices and enhance patient safety.
A Growing Need for Quality Cancer Care
The training aimed to strengthen the quality of diagnostic radiology as countries across the globe face a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including cancer. Through its Rays of Hope initiative, the IAEA provides equipment, training and quality control assessments to support countries in expanding cancer care through nuclear and radiation medicine.
“As countries expand radiation medicine capacities, quality assurance is paramount for the safe and effective use of lifesaving diagnostic and therapeutic equipment,” said May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the IAEA Division of Human Health. “The IAEA has created a comprehensive quality assurance methodology to advise hospitals, centres and institutions on standards and processes within medical imaging and improve services.”
Training participants included radiologists, radiographers, medical physicists and quality assurance officers from Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“By expanding the pool of national, regional and international auditors proficient in the IAEA methodology, we are improving the capacity and skills of radiation medicine professionals in Africa,” said Gashaw Gebeyehu Wolde, Acting Director of the IAEA Division for Africa.
