Mongolia Boosts Childhood Cancer Diagnosis as Imaging Training Reaches Provinces

The course took place at the Centre in Ulaanbaatar after assessments, including a 2024 imPACT Review, identified gaps in paediatric imaging services.

More than 300 medical professionals from across Mongolia have strengthened their skills in children's medical imaging through a national course supporting safer examinations and more accurate diagnoses. Radiologists, imaging technologists, paediatricians, surgeons and other specialists attended the training, delivered by the International Atomic Energy Agency's human health and technical cooperation programmes with local and international partners. Participants have since returned to hospitals across all 21 provinces, taking practical expertise beyond the capital.

One year after the course, the IAEA reported that image-guided, minimally invasive biopsies had increased from 20% before training to 80% in 2026, supported by continued Mongolian government investment. The improvement has strengthened diagnostic capacity for children with cancer, making the training's impact visible in clinical practice. Battulga Chuluunbaatar, Head of the Radiology Department at the Mongolian National Centre for Maternal and Child Health, said medical teams were now systematically providing safer, more accurate diagnoses nationwide.

The course took place at the Centre in Ulaanbaatar after assessments, including a 2024 imPACT Review, identified gaps in paediatric imaging services. These included limited access to image-guided biopsies and a shortage of imaging protocols designed specifically for children. The findings shaped a targeted curriculum that combined technical instruction with practical exercises and collaboration between medical specialties.

Hands-on training brings child-focused imaging into practice

Training covered ultrasound, X-ray, fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging, with theoretical sessions supported by practical exercises and interdisciplinary discussions. During image-guided biopsy workshops, participants practised on models that mimic the human body, either supplied by the IAEA or produced locally. The workshops also prepared participants to teach colleagues at their own hospitals, extending the reach of the course across Mongolia.

Clinical decision-making, radiation protection, image interpretation, standardized reporting and case reviews formed part of the programme's emphasis on evidence-based care. Participants strengthened their ability to contribute to tumour boards, where specialists jointly review cancer cases, and put international imaging guidance into everyday practice through standardized protocols tailored to children. May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the IAEA Division of Human Health, described the training as an important investment in closing clinical care gaps and strengthening Mongolia's health system for future generations.

International expertise meets Mongolia's clinical needs

The National Centre and Mongolia's Ministry of Health worked with national partners, including the Mongolian Society of Paediatric Radiology and Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, to support the course. UNICEF provided translation, audiovisual resources and nationwide dissemination, with IAEA-recruited lecturers contributing expertise from Hong Kong Children's Hospital, the World Federation of Paediatric Imaging and the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists. Joanna Kasznia-Brown, former President of the World Federation of Paediatric Imaging, said the partnership connected advanced imaging techniques with local clinical needs and supported access to safe, early and accurate diagnosis regardless of location.

Provincial hospitals carry the work forward

Medical teams are applying their training across all 21 provinces, supported by an IAEA-procured CT-guided biopsy mannequin that will enable further training for colleagues. Participants and local partners have requested follow-up sessions to expand quality paediatric radiology practices, and the course has generated momentum for a national radiology society. These activities provide a foundation for continued skills development and wider use of child-specific imaging practices.

Mongolia's progress also reflects evidence-based planning to identify cancer control priorities and mobilize investment, according to Deng Ge, the IAEA's Director for Asia and the Pacific in its Department of Technical Cooperation. He said the agency continues to support Mongolia through its Rays of Hope initiative, strengthening nuclear medicine and radiation oncology capabilities to improve patient care. Continued government investment, local teaching capacity and cooperation with international specialists underpin efforts to sustain the improvements across the country.