Uganda has emerged as a pioneer in Africa to champion the standardization of the latest technology used in biomedical imaging for diagnosis and subsequent treatment of various medical conditions.
Uganda, through its standards agency – the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), is the only African country among 10 countries participating in the development of ISO standards for equipment that use microbeams and x-rays to carry out the diagnosis for various medical conditions.
At the national level, the UNBS Technical Committee on Metrology (UNBS TC 08) has taken the lead on this matter.
Consequently, international delegates from China, Germany, Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States of America are meeting in Kampala for 3 days to discuss standards for equipment used in microbeam analysis.
The 25th plenary session of the ISO Technical Committee 202 on Microbeam analysis is taking place from 19th to 21st September 2018 at Hotel Africana, Kampala, ending with the discussion and approval of resolutions made during the meeting.
The UNBS Executive Director, Dr Ben Manyindo, said the meeting comes at a time when a large number of modern microbeam analytical instruments are being imported into Uganda.
There is also a number of state-of-the-art laboratories that have been playing significant roles in advancing research, that has been established with these high-performance instruments.
“Promoting the peaceful use of the technology and nurturing a culture of safety among professionals is at the heart of the UNBS’ mandate, and constitutes a fundamental element of our work.
“Simultaneously, we must continue to promote international cooperation in the applications of modern technology. Achieving these dual goals will require engagement, collaboration, and partnership – building with a range of stakeholders from across our societies, scientific communities, and industrial sectors,” Dr Manyindo added.
BY SAMUEL NABWIISO
