Category: Nuclear Weapons

In 2024, the IAEA advanced its research and development efforts across diverse applications of nuclear science.

The Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative expanded its reach, equipping nearly 40 veterinary laboratories with cutting-edge diagnostic tools and training over 1000 professionals across 130 countries. With 129 national laboratories now part of its network, ZODIAC fosters international collaboration through its dedicated portal.

Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, yet nearly half of all patients lack access to radiotherapy. To address this, the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative expanded its network of Anchor Centres to 11, and supported a Lancet Oncology Commission which published a comprehensive roadmap outlining strategies to address global radiotherapy gaps, improve access and reduce the cancer burden worldwide.

NUTEC Plastics achieved groundbreaking research results, confirming microplastics in Antarctica through a study with Argentine research stations, supported by the IAEA’s Monaco Marine Environment Laboratories. The initiative expanded its 100-country laboratory network, driving global plastic pollution monitoring and research. It also advanced innovative solutions, using ionizing radiation to develop bio-based plastics, reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The IAEA also developed methods to verify the authenticity of foods with specific geographic origins, by using stable isotope analysis to identify cases of fraud. This breakthrough enhances food authenticity and integrity in global markets.

In agriculture, advanced diagnostic assays developed by the Agency’s Plant Breeding and Genetics Laboratory provide rapid, reliable, and resource-efficient tools for disease detection, addressing challenges exacerbated by climate change.

Since its launch in 2023, Atoms4Food has supported agrifood transformation through innovations in cropping systems, livestock productivity, and natural resource management. Through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, a roadmap for a protein digestibility database was developed to guide evidence-based dietary policies.

The Agency is also advancing industrial 3D printing by using non-destructive testing techniques like X rays and gamma computed tomography scans to ensure the quality and safety of 3D-printed components, supporting industries with more reliable production processes.

The Global Network of Water Analysis Laboratories (GloWAL) completed its baseline survey in 2024, involving 85 laboratories from 65 countries. The results will inform capacity-building efforts in isotope hydrology, with a focus on regional networks, including a Latin America-led initiative starting in 2025.

Upcoming in 2025: In 2025, the IAEA will continue advancing key global initiatives aimed at addressing some of the most pressing development challenges facing countries today. Rays of Hope, working closely with Anchor Centres, will enhance cancer care through regional capacity-building. Additionally, the development of the SUNRISE database will contribute to advancing radiation medicine, enabling policymakers and practitioners to leverage insights that strengthen cancer care worldwide. ZODIAC will expand its network and focus on disease forecasting, particularly zoonotic and climate-related health risks. NUTEC Plastics will address plastic pollution with upcycling technology and expand its marine microplastic monitoring network. Atoms4Food will scale nuclear technologies to improve food security and support climate-resilient crops, alongside its work on a protein digestibility database. GloWAL will continue to focus on capacity-building in isotope hydrology. The ReNuAL2 laboratory upgrades will strengthen the IAEA’s role in addressing food, health, and environmental challenges.

Mobile units such as this one are raising awareness of cervical cancer screening in the country. (Photo: A. Karagu/ IAEA)

Eswatini is taking tangible steps to prepare for its first public radiotherapy centre to enable cancer patients to be treated in-country, according to a team of international experts. 

The experts, appointed by the IAEA, World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to carry out an imPACT Review in the country, found that Eswatini has finalized a strategic funding proposal, enacted a Nuclear and Radiation Safety Law, and surveyed potential sites for geotechnical suitability. 

The mission in August 2024 built on a 2017 imPACT Review that laid the foundations for the development and implementation of the National Cancer Control Plan 2019-2023.  

Other achievements since that period include the establishment of the National Cancer Control Unit at the Ministry of Health; the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination into the National Immunization Programme; the recruitment of a clinical oncologist and a medical physicist; the creation of  a 60-bed chemotherapy unit operating at Manzini Government Hospital; and the development of a draft Nuclear Bill that currently awaits approval by the National Assembly.  

Of Eswatini’s 1.2 million people, over 1000 were diagnosed with cancer in 2022, and close to 700 people died of the disease (Globocan). Cancers of the breast, cervix and prostate accounted for more than 50 per cent of these cases. With no radiotherapy services available within the country, the government currently helps patients access this treatment in South Africa using the country’s Phalala Medical Referral Fund.   

“This solution is not sustainable,” said Mduduzi Matsebula, Eswatini’s Minister of Health. “Our government is working hard to build a first radiotherapy facility so that our patients can be treated at home, committing already one million euros to the success of this project,” he added.  

In support of this goal, Eswatini is in the process of finalizing a strategic funding document to mobilize domestic and international funds. The imPACT Review mission was an opportunity to update key sections of this ‘bankable’ document, including the country’s cancer profile and available infrastructure, as well as requirements for equipment and human resources, and estimated preliminary costs.  

The development of strategic funding documents is one of the ways the IAEA provides support to countries. These documents come under the ownership of the country, and are validated by the IAEA through technical and economic feasibility assessments. They provide comprehensive insights into the requirements of proposed projects – tailored to the country’s cancer profile, control plan, existing physical infrastructure and human resource capabilities. They help government decision-makers and funding partners to identify the needs and funds required to set up a radiotherapy facility. In the case of Eswatini, the bankable document represents an important preliminary step towards the establishment of the country’s first radiotherapy centre. 

Lisa Stevens has been with the IAEA for six years. She is the Director of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). Here she is photographed at the Technical Cooperation Departmental meeting in summer 2019. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA) 

The IAEA profiles employees to provide insight into the variety of career paths that support the Agency’s mission of Atoms for Peace and Development and to inspire and encourage readers, particularly women, to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or STEM-adjacent fields. Read more profiles of women at the IAEA.   

“I want every country to have a cancer plan and more people to know about the cancer work that the IAEA does,” says Lisa Stevens, who has spent a quarter of a century working in the field of cancer control and now leads the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) at the IAEA.  

Stevens’ career has been informed by her background in science. The oldest of three children, she was first inspired to pursue a scientific career by her parents, who both had careers in the STEM disciplines. Her mother worked in the medical and scientific field, having trained as a mammography and X ray technician, and her father was an engineer.  

Learning about her parents’ work helped Stevens to understand the opportunities available if she chose a career in science.  

“You have to excite the young mind; show and promote opportunities in science while they are young,” she said. “In any field, you want the best. Making sure that young children, girls and boys, have opportunities is important. Diversity is important.” 

Stevens always had a deep interest in biology and enjoyed science classes in high school. “I liked studying about the human body, liked chemistry, physics and the scientific methods,” Stevens said.  

From a young age, Stevens was also interested in an international career. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and Spanish because she thought she might work as a physician overseas one day. She attended a small liberal arts school in the farmlands of Illinois in the United States of America, where she discovered the joys of DJing and philanthropy, as well as scientific studies. She continued her studies in molecular and cellular biology in graduate school at the University of Maryland, carrying out her thesis research at the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) and graduating with a PhD in 1999. 

The new publication aims to ensure the security of nuclear and other radioactive material during transport

A new IAEA publication on the security of nuclear and other radioactive material in transport has been released.  

“It is essential that nuclear and other radioactive material is managed securely and is properly protected against criminal or intentional unauthorized acts during their transport,” said Heather Looney, Head of the Nuclear Security of Materials and Facilities Section in the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “Transport-related incidents account for more than 50 per cent of all thefts reported to the IAEA’s Incident and Trafficking Database since 1995, which highlights the importance of strengthening transport security measures,” she added.  

The publication is designed to assist countries in establishing robust transport security measures against potential threats such as theft or sabotage. Such measures range from administrative procedures, to protecting the confidentiality of transport routes and operations, to the physical protection of shipments.  

The guidance is aimed at those responsible for transport security, including law enforcement, customs and border control, intelligence and security agencies, as well as operators, shippers and others.  

Both domestic and international transport are covered by the guidance, as well as all modes of transportation, including road, rail, sea, inland waterways and air.  As part of the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series, it promotes an internationally consistent approach to the secure transport of nuclear and other radioactive material. Additionally, it serves as a valuable resource for shippers and carriers, helping them develop appropriate transport security systems.  

The publication offers detailed guidance on categorizing nuclear and other radioactive material from a nuclear security perspective and addresses the interface between nuclear safety and security measures. It also outlines a country’s responsibilities in establishing a regulatory framework for transport security, highlighting the importance of communication during transport, training and qualification of personnel, secure measures for the conveyance and escort of shipments and the role of transport control centres. 

The publication builds on available nuclear security guidance, including Nuclear Security Recommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities and Nuclear Security Recommendations on Radioactive Material and Associated Facilities.  

The new publication is available free of charge here. Further information on the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series, including resources in six languages, can be found here.