The current nuclear medicine status of Japan and other Asian countries from the reports of IAEA/RCA

Learning Objectives The objective of this study is to report a brief summary of the nuclear medicine status quo of Japan and other Asian countries of which the 13 delegates presented in the meeting of the Asian Member States in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Methods: The initial cooperative meeting (RAS6061/9001/01) of the International Atomic Energy Agency/Regional Cooperative Agreement (IAEA/RCA) was held on March 19-23, 2012 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The brief reports presented at the meeting were assembled here with the delegates’ approval. Results: Japan leads in the number of PET/CT scanners, followed by the Republic of Korea and China. These three countries own far more hybrid modalities than other Asian countries. However, in devices per capita, the Republic of Korea leads with one PET/CT for 0.32 million, followed, in order, by Japan with one PET/CT for 0.34 million people, Singapore with one PET/CT for 0.57 million people and Malaysia with one PET/CT for 2.5 million people. In addition to heterogeneity of instrumentation, radiopharmaceuticals, and human resources, the reports indicated that there are also regional differences in content, structure, and length of training and education programs in nuclear medicine. Conclusion: We are convinced that this summary report will contribute to the future planning of IAEA/RCA training programs, including both fundamental and advanced courses, worldwide. There is the need to hold continuing educational meetings among Member States to decrease the disparity of the knowledge, and to transfer the knowledge from developed countries to developing countries.