The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), linked to the United Nations (UN), recently signed an agreement with the Brazilian Society of Nuclear Medicine (SBMN) to expand training opportunities for professionals in nuclear medicine in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Portuguese-speaking African countries.
The first agreement of its kind signed in Latin America formalizes the cooperation between the two parties, who have already been working in partnership. Founded in 1961, the SBMN is a reference in Brazil for medical imaging and nuclear medicine.
The president of the SBMN, Juliano Cerci (photo), stated that Brazil faces a unique situation in the sector. “The country is a powerhouse in some segments of nuclear medicine and still has much to learn in other aspects. This agreement formalizes something that has been happening for some time, namely, a technical cooperation 
between Brazil and the International Atomic Energy Agency.”
The agreement, he added, focuses on education “so that we can receive students from other countries, and also to send people to work abroad from Brazil.” He mentioned that nuclear medicine plays a fundamental role in the treatment of chronic diseases, from early diagnosis to the treatment phase and response verification.
“When patients have cancer and need to see how far it has progressed through nuclear medicine, this has a significant impact on the choice of appropriate treatment, whether they need surgery or not, if there is another serious illness that requires chemotherapy, or medication,” he emphasized.
Objectives
In a statement, the IAEA explains that another purpose of the agreement is to identify high-level clinical centers or universities for the training of professionals. Centers that can accept research projects from the agency will also be identified.
Diana Paez, head of nuclear medicine and imaging diagnostics at the IAEA, said that “Brazil is ideal for this partnership, as it hosts most of the nuclear centers in Latin America and the Caribbean, with several facilities featuring cutting-edge technology related to the sector.”
The country, she continued, “also has a large number of training programs and a robust community of high-level specialists.”
Source: http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/