Fátima Báñez welcomes professionals from 29 countries at inauguration of Ibero-American Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine

This conference has been organised by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Spanish Nuclear Security Council. Fátima Báñez officially opened the 2016 Ibero-American Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine, for which the leading agencies involved in radiation protection will gather on 18, 19 and 20 October. In her speech, the Spanish minister welcomed 230 people from 29 countries as they gathered in Madrid to promote the protection and reduced exposure of patients to radiation.

The forum is organised by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the Spanish Nuclear Security Council [Spanish acronym: CSN] and the World Health Organisation (WHO). At the opening ceremony, at which the Chairman of the Spanish Nuclear Security Council, Fernando Martí Scharfhausen also spoke, Fátima Báñez said she is convinced that the work to be done at this conference will help strengthen Spain's position as a member of the Ibero-American Community, in which public health is a priority.

In this regard, the main goal of the 29 countries meeting in Madrid is to evaluate the ten actions for improving radiation protection in medicine agreed under the "Bonn Call-for-Action" by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the WHO in 2012 (Annex 1).

"The conference we are opening today will lead to updated information on the current status of radiation protection in medicine via an appropriate review, assessment and control of the measures", said Fátima Báñez.

Regarding these actions, the Spanish minister said she believes they tackle the issue of radiation protection from a comprehensive perspective, binding all parties to uphold a series of general radiation protection principles. She also underlined the importance of establishing a common framework based on standard rules, such as the "International Basic Safety Standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)", a benchmark for legislation in many countries.

Furthermore, she highlighted the role of international cooperation and the evaluation culture as pillars for the improvement and modernisation of the National Health System, a challenge on which the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality has been working in recent years. She also stressed that the Ministry of Health will pay great attention to the conclusions in order to continue working on this issue, as it has already been doing with the Nuclear Security Council.

Fernando Martí Scharfhausen also highlighted the importance of international cooperation for promoting the safe use of radiation in the field of medicine and for tackling the challenge posed by the rapid development of uses and equipment, which increases the number of medical procedures and professionals involved in ionising radiation.

A benchmark for Ibero-American countries

This conference also represents an opportunity to exchange the information and experience gained in recent years in the field of radiation protection in medicine, and strengthen the ties of cooperation between Ibero-American countries. Both as a member of the European Union and the IAEA, Spain stands as a benchmark for the countries of Ibero-America.

The conference is also being supported by the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Ibero-American Forum of Radiological and Nuclear Regulators [Spanish acronym: FORO], the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA).

The conference is being attended by representatives from these international agencies, scientific societies and authorities on the matter from various countries. The speakers at the conference include the following: María Neira (Director of the Public Health and Environment Department of the WHO), Fernando Martí (Chairman of the Spanish Nuclear Security Council), Juan Carlos Lentijo (Head of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security) and Ana Larcher (President of the Ibero-American Forum of Radiological and Nuclear Regulators).

ANNEX 1. Priority Actions for Improving Radiation Protection in Medicine: "Bonn Call-for-Action"

The International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in December 2012 in Bonn (Germany) concluded with a call-for-action, known today as the "Bonn Call-for-Action", that identifies ten priority actions for improving radiation protection in medicine:

1. Enhance the justification of radiological procedures
2. Enhance the optimisation of protection in the medical uses of ionising radiations
3. Strengthen the contribution from manufacturers to radiological safety
4. Strengthen education and training for healthcare professionals
5. Promote a strategic agenda for research and radiation protection in medicine
6. Improve the collection of data on exposure to radiation by patients and healthcare workers
7. Improve the primary prevention of adverse incidents and events
8. Strengthen the radiation protection culture in the health sector
9. Foster a risk-benefit dialogue on the medical uses of ionising radiations
10. Strengthen the implementation of safety requirements (BSS) globally