MEDAMI 2026 Valencia

Bridging the Gap: The SFMN Francophonie Working Group’s Educational Initiative for Nuclear Medicine in LMICs

15 May 2026, 16:00

20m

Valencia Terminal Hub

Session 2: Situation of Nuclear Medicine in Low- and Medium-Income Countries

Speaker

Renaud Guignard

Description

In view of the restricted and sporadic availability of NM procedures, an important impediment to the effective implementation of nuclear medicine technologies (NMTs) in LMICs is the sustainability of human capital expertise. In order to address this issue, the Francophonie Working Group ("GT Francophonie") of the French Society of Nuclear Medicine (SFMN) has launched a robust continuous training programme. This programme has been designed to sustain the deployment of NMTs across French-speaking LMICs, particularly in Africa. The cornerstone of this initiative is a series of monthly multidisciplinary webinars. The objective of these sessions are:

1. To facilitate multidisciplinary interaction. In accordance with MEDAMI's objective of facilitating cross-fertilisation, the organisation's webinars serve as a forum that assembles NM professionals with practitioners specialising in fields such as surgery and oncology.
2. To provide practical expertise. Each session focuses on "hands-on" clinical cases and technical protocols, addressing the specific needs of end-users in resource-limited settings.
3. To provide support for strategic development. The programme facilitates the optimisation of utility of existing/advanced NM instrumentation by local teams through the sharing of expert-level reading and protocol standardisation.
   This educational framework is in alignment with the 2025 WHO resolution on the strengthening of medical imaging capacity. By prioritising human capital alongside technological investment, the SFMN GT Francophonie ensures that NMTs are not merely installed, but effectively utilised to address local health issues.
   The SFMN's involvement in these regular exchanges contributes to the UN sustainable development goal of "good health and well being" for all, demonstrating the feasibility of cost-effective and sustainable nuclear imaging through shared knowledge and international cooperation.