Nuclear Science Brings Cancer Care, Safer Food and Better Water Data Across Regions

Government focal points known as National Liaison Officers reviewed 125 ongoing national projects and 17 regional projects in Europe and Central Asia and discussed new activities.

Access to cancer screening, stronger food systems and reliable groundwater information were central to regional meetings held alongside the 70th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference. National representatives reviewed progress under four cooperation agreements covering Africa, Arab states in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific, with a separate meeting addressing Europe and Central Asia. These partnerships help countries share expertise and access nuclear technology through IAEA technical cooperation projects that respond to national needs and regional development priorities.

Africa Expands Cancer Services as Iraq Takes on a Regional Role

New radiotherapy centres in Benin, Kenya and Malawi and Japan-funded mammography units supplied to 42 African countries featured among the achievements reviewed in the African Regional Cooperative Agreement's (AFRA) Annual Report 2025. At its 37th annual meeting, the agreement's 49 government parties endorsed technical working group recommendations to guide the next project cycle, identifying human health, food and agriculture, and radiation safety as priorities. These investments connect regional cooperation with practical needs, from equipment for cancer screening to treatment facilities that strengthen national health services.

AFRA's leadership passed from Botswana's Minister of Communications and Innovation, David Tshere, to Hamid Marah, Director General of Morocco's National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, for 2026–27. Marah reaffirmed Morocco's commitment to building on previous achievements and implementing agreed priorities. At the Arab States in Asia agreement (ARASIA) meeting, Iraq's National Nuclear, Radiological, Chemical and Biological Regulatory Commission became a Regional Resource Centre on Environmental Radiation Monitoring, formalising its role in sharing expertise. Chairman Fadhil Hawi Mizban highlighted its contribution to qualitative and quantitative measurement, with ARASIA now operating 11 resource centres covering nuclear medicine, dosimetry and environmental monitoring.

Regional Training Supports Food Security and Groundwater Decisions

Representatives from 21 countries attended the 27th annual meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Agreement (ARCAL), presenting examples of nuclear science supporting cancer care, food security and responses to emerging regional challenges. In 2025, 777 professionals participated in ARCAL activities, helping countries apply peaceful nuclear technologies, including the sterile insect technique. Delegates reviewed plans for a new generation of large-scale regional projects aligned with IAEA flagship initiatives, placing greater emphasis on coordinated work that can deliver practical benefits across participating countries.

For Asia and the Pacific, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi launched an assessment examining the social and economic impact of 20 years of hydrology and groundwater projects under the Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA). Nearly 300 scientists from 19 countries received training in isotope hydrology for groundwater analysis, supporting the collection of accurate information for sustainable water management decisions. Case studies from Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka document regional results. The publication builds on assessments covering radiotherapy, mutation breeding, non-destructive testing, air quality monitoring and food safety, reflecting an IAEA–RCA partnership spanning more than five decades.

Europe and Central Asia Review Cancer and Nutrition Programmes

Government focal points known as National Liaison Officers reviewed 125 ongoing national projects and 17 regional projects in Europe and Central Asia and discussed new activities. Cancer care developments under the IAEA's Rays of Hope initiative included an imPACT Review in Moldova and the designation of Anchor Centres in Estonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Türkiye. These achievements formed part of the region's review of how technical cooperation and flagship programmes are supporting countries' development priorities.

Food security and nutrition featured through the Atoms4Food initiative, with Albania, Georgia, Tajikistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan working to strengthen their systems and assessment missions planned for Türkiye and Uzbekistan. The meetings connected this work with a broader set of needs addressed across the regional agreements: better cancer services, stronger scientific capabilities, environmental radiation monitoring and evidence to guide groundwater management. Sharing facilities, training and specialist knowledge gives participating countries practical support for turning peaceful nuclear science into services people can use.