Virtual side event during 5th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices
Following the approval of the WHA78 resolution on Strengthening Medical Imaging Capacity, a virtual side event has been scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 5, as part of the 5th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices.
The panel includes representatives of the ISR, WFNMB, WHO and The Lancet Oncology Commission on Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine and will discuss measures to implement the Resolution.
5th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices
Side Event 1: The role of NSAs in official relation with WHO in implementing the WHA resolution on Strengthening medical imaging capacity
Thursday, June 5, 12:00 PM-12:45 PM CEST
Please visit the WHO webpage here to register.
ISR/WFNMB side event on Strengthening Medical Imaging Capacity: The time is now
To advocate for the Resolution on Strengthening Medical Imaging Capacity, the International Society of Radiology (ISR) and the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB), in partnership with Siemens Healthineers, organized a networking event on May 21 on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) 2025 in Geneva. The event, entitled “Strengthening Medical Imaging Capacity: The Time is Now”, convened a broad range of stakeholders, comprising representatives of professional societies, the WHO, the IAEA, permanent country missions at the United Nations in Geneva, industry and others.
The panel featured interventions from global leaders in imaging, who shared their perspectives on how the WHA resolution can catalyze efforts to strengthen medical imaging in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In their opening remarks, Prof. Boris Brkljacic (ISR) and Prof. Andrew Scott (WFNMB) outlined the benefits of scaling up imaging as demonstrated by the Lancet Oncology Commission on Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, which is one of the pillars the Resolution builds upon.
Their welcome words were followed by a keynote address by Prof. Florence Zeh Kakanou, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Public Health of Cameroon, who explained why her country was leading the Resolution, which she said can transform health systems, save lives, and deliver equity in action. Her ardent plea to elevate medical imaging to its rightful place in healthcare systems was followed by an engaging panel discussion with lead commissioner of the Lancet Oncology Commission on Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Prof. Hedvig Hricak, and high-level representatives of Cameroon, WFNMB, the Global Diagnostic Imaging Healthcare IT and Radiation Therapy Trade Association (DITTA) as well as Siemens Healthineers. Topics addressed included possible approaches to strengthen medical imaging capacities, support for LMICs to invest in nuclear medicine, regulations and policies, and the resolution’s potential to close the workforce gap in LMICs. In her closing remarks, Diana Paez, Head of the IAEA Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging Section, gave an overview of the IAEA’s activities to support capacity building in LMICs.
Conversations during the subsequent informal networking reception showed strong general consensus that awareness of the benefits of imaging needs to be increased and that the resolution could help to achieve this.
Archive - Webinar in support of the WHA resolution
Strenghtening Medical Imaging Capacity
A webinar in support of the WHA Resolution, organized by ISR and WFNMB
March 25, 2025, 13:00-14:30 CET
- Welcome & Moderation, Hedvig Hricak, Chair of the Lancet Oncology Commission on Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine
- Why a WHA Resolution on Strengthening Medical Imaging Capacity is needed
- Théophile Olivier Bosse, First Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cameroon in Geneva (7min)
- Marcelo Queiroz, Director of Radiology, Cancer Institute, Hospital das Clínicas da Facultade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
- Overview of WHO’s current work on strengthening medical imaging capacity, Adriana Velazquez Berumen, World Health Organization (7min)
- Overview of IAEA’s support of medical imaging in particular in the context of the Rays of Hope initiative, May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency (7 min)
- Strengthening medical imaging – the time is now!
- Bibb Allen, President, International Society of Radiology (ISR) (7 min)
- Andrew Scott, World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB) (7 min)
- Transformative Impact of Imaging on Cancer Care in Sub-Saharan Africa, Wil Ngwa, Chair of the Lancet Oncology Commission on Sub-Saharan Africa (7 min)
- Q&A chaired by John Prior, WFNMB, and Giovanni Guido Cerri, University of São Paulo – 40min
