Stephen Inkoom – Deputy Director and Chief Research Scientist at the Radiation Protection Institute under Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GHANA).
Biography:
Prof. Stephen Inkoom obtained his PhD degree in Medical Physics in 2014 from the University of Ghana. The PhD programme was a sandwich programme between the University of Ghana and University of Crete, Greece with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Government of Ghana.
Prof. Stephen Inkoom is currently a Deputy Director and Chief Research Scientist at the Radiation Protection Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. He is also Associate Professor of Medical Physics, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana. His work focuses on radiation protection, medical physics, and the safe application of nuclear and accelerator-based technologies in healthcare, reserach and industry. He is actively involved in national and international initiatives supporting capacity building, regulation, and the development of medical physics in Africa, working closely with organizations such as the IAEA and served as a Project Scientific Consultant for IAEA Project RAF9064-Improving the Capabilities of Member States for Radiation Protection of Member States, International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP),
Federation of African Medical Physics Organizations (FAMPO) where He serves as the Secratray General, and others to strengthen education, research, and clinical practice of medical physics and radiation protection across the region. As Project Coordinator for the NORPART Project, 20+ Masters and PhD Students benefitted from Students Exchange Programme for students from Universities in Ghana for an Exchange Stay (2018-2023) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway in Medical Physics and Radiation Protection Education. Additionally, 500+ trainees benefited from Annual Summer Schools in Ghana (2016 – 2023) in Medical Physics and Radiation Protection Education. He has mentored 50+ Medical Physics students from Africa, and been playing a Leading role in Medical Physics education and training in Africa. Prof. Stephen Inkoom has 20 years of experience in radiation protection and medical physics practice, providing leadership and mentorship in education and training, research and professional development both in Africa and globally.
Abstract:
Medical physics (MP) has been an indispensable and strategic stakeholder in the delivery of healthcare in Africa, with immense support to diagnostic radiology (DR), nuclear medicine (NM) and radiotherapy (RT).
There are eleven (11) countries that have MP academic programmes and seven (7) that have clinical training programmes in Africa, by the use of a harmonized curriculum developed by the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), with additional support from the training of medical physicists through the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, where one hundred and twenty-four (124) ICTP medical physics graduates have been trained since 2014/15 to 2023/24 for ten (10) cycles.
The Federation of African Medical Physicist Organisations (FAMPO) was established in 2009, and the Federation’s activities are extended throughout Africa and the local Islands in the Region. FAMPO promotes MP Professional Practice, Education and Training, Research and Development within Africa. FAMPO region has more than 1,200 Medical Physicists for a population of about 1.3 billion. About sixty percent (60%) of MPs are in radiotherapy (RT); 30% in Medical Imaging; 10% in Research & Industry. With respect to Medical Physicist recognition in Africa, only six (6) of the fifty-four (54) African countries have legislative recognition for MPs.
For the future, FAMPO would continue to strengthen collaboration with National Member Organizations and members, advocate for legislative recognition of medical physicists, enhance education and training opportunities for medical physicists, collaborate with key bodies and institutions such as the International Organisation for Medical Physics (IOMP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), etc. to bridge the knowledge gap and equip medical physicists with the skills necessary to meet the growing demands of the field.
It is expected that these initiatives and partnerships would promote medical physics profession within the region, strengthen research and innovation within the medical physics community in Africa, enhance legislative recognition, and expand and enhance FAMPO’s network and member engagement.