Rabat hosts the African Congress on Radiation Protection

The 4th African Congress on Radiation Protection (AFRIRPA04) will be held from 13 to 17 September in Rabat, under the theme "Strengthening radiation protection infrastructures in Africa for better health and sustainable development". Organised by the Moroccan Association for Radiation Protection (AMR), this congress coincides with the national promulgation of the law on nuclear and radiological safety and security, which provides for the establishment of an independent regulatory authority for activities using ionising radiation, which will be responsible for the control and inspection of all relevant stakeholders, a statement from the organisers specifies. This meeting, which will see the participation of more than 200 specialists, professionals, researchers and students, representing more than 30 countries from different continents, aims to discuss topics relating to the fundamentals of radiation protection, in particular biological effects, radiological safety, dosimetry, regulation, exposure to natural radiation in mining environments, the transport of nuclear and radioactive materials, and education and vocational training. In Africa, as in Morocco, the applications of nuclear techniques have seen considerable development over the last two decades and currently cover the health, industry, environment, agriculture, water, natural resources, and safety and security sectors, notes the AMR. Regarding the energy sector, several African countries are interested in nuclear power, notably Morocco, which considers this an open option and a long-term alternative for the diversification of the national energy mix. With several nuclear installations, notably the Maâmora Research Centre which includes a research reactor (CNESTEN), the pilot irradiation station in Tangier (INRA), cyclotrons for the production of radiopharmaceuticals and several radiotherapy units, Morocco plays a leading role in Africa in the field of peaceful nuclear uses. The first three editions were organised respectively in South Africa (2003), Egypt (2007) and Kenya (2010).

Provider / Source : Libération