STRENGTHENING MEDICAL IMAGING CAPACITY

improving health outcomes through imaging

BY THE LANCET ONCOLOGY COMMISSION ON MEDICAL IMAGING AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND THE LANCET ONCOLOGY COMMISSION ON SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

WHA Resolution

WHA RESOLUTION

© WHO / Pierre Albouy
© WHO / Pierre Albouy

It is our pleasure to announce that a resolution on Strengthening medical imaging capacity has been adopted by the WHO Executive Board during its session on February 10, for submission to the World Health Assembly (WHA78) to be held in Geneva from May 19-27, 2025.

The resolution addresses the rising burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases. It was led by Cameroon, co-sponsored by Armenia, Brazil and Burkina Faso and garnered strong consensus support from multiple Member States, including China and Thailand during the WHO Executive Board session.

The World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB) and the International Society of Radiology (ISR) coordinated a constituency statement in support of the proposed resolution. The following Non-State Actors in official relations with the WHO supported the constituency statement:

  1. WFNMB (World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology)
  2. ISR (International Society of Radiology)
  3. DITTA (Global Diagnostic Imaging Healthcare IT and Radiation Therapy Trade Association)
  4. Humatem
  5. IAPO (International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations)
  6. IFA (International Federation on Ageing)
  7. IFMBE (International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering)
  8. IFSC Ltd. (International Federation of Surgical Colleges)
  9. IOMP (International Organization of Medical Physics)
  10. ISQua (The International Society for Quality in Health Care Company Limited by Guarantee)
  11. ISRRT (The International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists)
  12. MSIF (MS International Federation)
  13. RAD-AID International
  14. SIOP (The International Society of Paediatric Oncology)
  15. TIF (Thalassaemia International Federation)
  16. WFUMB (World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology)
  17. WMA (World Medical Association)
  18. WSO (World Stroke Organization)

The statement was read during the WHO Executive Board session on February 5. The abbreviated version is available on the WHO EB webpage (See pillar 1). The full constituency statement can be accessed here.

The  resolution (draft decision) is available on the WHO Executive Board meeting page in the conference paper section and can be viewed here.

The recordings of the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board including the presentation of the Constituency Statement (see EB156, Session 5, 05/02/2025 – 10:05-13:00, min. 11:00) and the adoption of the resolution for submission to WHA 78 (see EB156, Session 18, 10/02/2025 – 18:55-19:40 – min 11:00) can be watched here.

If adopted by the World Health Assembly 2025, the resolution is expected to have a major impact not only in low—and middle-income countries but also globally in addressing the rising burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases.