The finalization of a joint roadmap and action plan for the accreditation of a harmonized master's degree curriculum in radiopharmacy, agreed by high-level representatives of nine universities from Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, will address the shortage of qualified radiopharmacists throughout Africa and promote the safe administration of radiopharmaceuticals. The agreement, made at a meeting in June 2023 hosted by Algeria, marks the culmination of a series of meetings facilitated by the IAEA and marks the launch of a new network of universities that will deliver the new curriculum.
"The idea came to establish a network of African universities that are interested to host the harmonized curriculum of radiopharmacy. This will allow more qualified and educated radiopharmacists and ensure the safety of the administration of radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine in Africa," said Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director of the Division for Africa in the IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation.
The university representatives discussed concrete measures to ensure the availability of suitable academic staff to cover the main teaching duties in the programme, different national policies on staff exchange, and the physical infrastructure available to make the master's programme effective.
"This programme will provide the students with the knowledge and skills they need to work in the field of radiopharmacy in Africa, a region with a growing need for these services, allowing them to learn from and collaborate with experts from around the world," said Professor Mervat Kassem, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Alexandria University.
The university representatives also agreed to launch a mentorship programme for young women in conjunction with the master's degree in radiopharmacy. Gender mainstreaming discussions at the meeting highlighted the importance of developing strategies to encourage greater female participation in this topic area. The mentoring initiative aims to build lasting connections among female radiopharmacists with the aim to support women in nuclear across Africa.
Through education and training programmes, the IAEA builds and strengthens Member State capacity to use nuclear science and technology for socioeconomic development. Given the dire need for qualified radiopharmacists in Africa, the IAEA supports Member States on the continent to establish education programmes to equip radiopharmacists with the necessary knowledge and training. These qualified radiopharmacists can then contribute to ensuring safe and available radiopharmacy services and enhancing public health in their home countries. The availability of this strengthened body of medical specialists will also help to address needs for the diagnosis of non-communicable diseases.
In 2019, the IAEA supported the launch of Africa's first master's programme in radiopharmacy for French-speaking students in Rabat, Morocco. This programme was hosted by Mohamed V University's Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy and based on a syllabus prepared with IAEA support. The initiative has already enabled the graduation of radiopharmacists from French-speaking countries including Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal and Tunisia.
The new master's programme in radiopharmacy will build on this success and will help to remediate the scarcity of qualified professionals on the African continent.
