Radiopharmacy initiatives in Africa by the IAEA

Objectives IAEA has significantly enhanced the capabilities of Member States in the field of Nuclear medicine (NM). However due to heterogeneous growth many facilities have acute shortage of staff and lack of registered and trained radiopharmacists in Africa. This paper reviews challenges and ways IAEA plans to address them.

Methods A review found average NM institutes for population per million in Africa 0.2 compared with 15 in US; thus they are extremely dependent on their only NM facility. The staffing composition was NM physicians, technologists, physicists and radiopharmacists (2.2 ±2, 4.2±3.2, 1.1±1.7,0.3±0.7) respectively. Radiopharmacy facilities in African countries are often inadequate, and consequently the safety and efficacy of radiopharmaceuticals produced and dispensed can not be ensured. Although few have plans to introduce PET, most expressed acute lack radiopharmacist, standards of practices and quality systems.

Results Recently RAF2008 which spans over next 5 years and will invest 1million US$ in radiopharmacy. This project has five key expected outcomes, increased awareness of risks and safety standards, greater competency, compliance with basic international standards, appropriate management and oversight, and compliance of radiopharmaceuticals with international standards (wider use of WHO International Pharmacopoeia). Most urgent training need for regular hot laboratory staff who operate at IAEA operational level 1 and 2 will be delivered by ‘competency based training’. A standardised postgraduate program will ensure at least one national specialist.

Conclusions Radiopharmacy is fundamental to sustained growth of NM in Africa and this is a major initiative by the IAEA.

Research Support IAEA