National Nuclear Research Institute, GAEC initiate moves for Intensive Public Education

A team from the National Nuclear Research Institute (NNRI), of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), have engaged the Office of Corporate and Public Affairs (OCPA), GAEC, to commence a video documentary series as part of measures to make known their research findings and its impact on society.

The meeting that took place on Wednesday February 27 at the Nuclear Chemistry and Environmental Research Center saw in attendance the Center Managers, Research Scientists, and the NNRI communication team including the Head of the Scientific Information and Technology Transfer Unit (SITTU). Also present was the Deputy Director of the Institute, Dr. JK Gbadago to grace the occasion.

Giving the opening remarks, the chairman of the NNRI communication team, Dr. Bright Sogbey, said the meeting was very important to usher in a new way to reach the public through a high quality videos to help promote the activities of NNRI.

He stressed on the importance of the meeting to help all the Center Managers and Heads of Consultancy groups, carry a single voice in the presentation of the activities of their Centers.

The Deputy Director of NNRI, Dr. JK Gbadago, in a statement assured the gathering that the public sensitization activities being embarked on by the Institute has the full support of the Management Board. “We will ensure that all the videos produced are scrutinized to guarantee that they present the true image of the Institute”, he added. Dr. Gbadago opined that the goal of this public sensitization drive should be in consonance with the overriding objectives set by the Institute. “Identify national needs and provide appropriate solutions linked to our facilities”, he explained.

The Head of Office of Corporate and Public Affairs, Mr. Mark Kwasi Sarfo, hinted that the Commission is now towing a slightly different way of publicizing their activities. “We have in the past focused on mainly talking about our activities without necessarily relating these activities to specific problems of the society and how we can solve them. The new trend now in our video productions is to identify particular problems affecting people’s lives and how we as a Commission or a Center for that matter can solve it”, he said.

Mr. Sarfo expressed gratitude to management of NNRI for this novel idea of having an Institute communication team to work hand-in-hand with the OCPA in publicizing the activities of the Institute and the Commission as a whole.

He also thanked the NNRI communication team for the opportunity.

Office of Corporate and Public Affairs (OCPA)-GAEC

12 Undergo Successful Radiation Protection and Safety Training at GAEC.

A group of officers from Amandi Investment Limited, specialized in Civil and Marine-Engineering solutions have successfully undergone Radiation Protection and Safety Training at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

The weeklong programme that was hosted by the Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of GAEC, sought to equip the twelve on safety, movement control and administrative procedures of radioactive materials and potential health hazards associated with ionizing radiations, among others.

The Manager of the Radiation Protection Training and Consultancy Centre of RPI, Dr. Stephen Inkoom, expressed joy at the success of the programme and disclosed that participants were taken through areas such as, Nuclear Gauges, Types of Radiation Exposures, Radiation Quantities and Units, National and InternationalLegal Frameworks for the Control of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials. These frameworks include the new provisions of the International Basic Safety Standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Ghana (Act 895 of 2015).

According to him, regulatory requirements of the NRA, under NRA Act 895 of 2015 requires that Radiation Protection Officers (RPOs) and Qualified Operators/Personnel operating with radiation sources shall have appropriate training and relevant experiencein Radiation Protection and Safety.

Also, participants were trained in Potential Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation,Basic Principles of Radiation Protection,Importance of Dose Limitation, Personnel Monitoring at the Workplace, Use of Survey Meters and Contamination Monitors, and Emergency Preparedness and Response to Nuclear/Radiological Emergencies.

Dr. Inkoom further explained that the training course specifically equipped the RPOs and Qualified Operators/Staffof Amandi Investments Limitedwith the requisite knowledge and skills on how to safely utilize Troxler (a Nuclear Moisture Density Gauge) for Quality and Process Control in their Engineering and Construction works.

Dr. Inkoom was confident that his outfit would continue to build the capacity of RPOs and Qualified Operators/Staff for industries in Ghana and across Africa for radiationprotection andsafety. He urged management of institutions that utilize radiation emitting devices and radioactive sources to consider regular refresher courses for their RPOs in order to be at par with modern trends and technologies in radiationprotection andsafety.

By: Thykingdom Kudesey, Office of Corporate and Public Affairs (OCPA) – GAEC

Atomic Energy Commission Holds Management Sensitization Workshop on it’s Corporate Strategic Plan (CSP)

The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) as part of its quest to develop personnel capacity and attain organizational set goals has organized a two-day workshop for management.

The main objective was to equip management with modern and effective ways to discharge their duties in order to meet the set targets for the five-years Corporate Strategic Plan (CSP – 2017-2021)

The workshop was attended by Directors of Institute, Centre/Departmental Managers, Sectional Heads and other Senior Management staff.

As part of activities, presentations from some Departments including; Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E), Human Resource, Finance and Corporate Affairs were made.There were focus group discussions on some topical issues from the presentations to chart a single course for the Commission.

Addressing the gathering, the Director General of GAEC, Prof. BJB Nyarko, who spoke passionately, drummed home the need for extra efforts by management to help achieve the commission’s set objectives in the CSP. He said, times have changed and management must learn new ways of discharging their duties in order to achieve results.

Prof. Nyarko advised management to set good targets for their subordinates and ensure strict supervision in order to achieve the set targets. “Though times are hard with regards to finances, we are also working tirelessly to ensure that the basic facilities needed for these jobs to be done are made available”, he added.

He disclosed that plans are underway to seek a Presidential chatter for the upgrade of the graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS) to a fully-fledged University, which is part of the five year projection.

The Human Resource Manager of GAEC, Mr. Maxwell Nyarko, who spoke in an interview expressed joy at the turn-up and success of the programme.

According to him, the HR Department will ensure that similar workshops are organized for senior and junior staff in order to help them adjust to the changing times. “This will help them understand the need to meet targets and deadlines to help achieve organizational objectives”, he added.

Finally, he urged all GAEC staff to maintain their positive attitude towards work to help move the Commission forward.

By: Thykingdom Kudesey – Office of Corporate and Public Affairs (OCPA) -GAEC

GAEC Donates to the Weija Leprosarium

The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has donated food items and toiletries to the Weija leprosarium in Accra.

The items include bags of rice, tubers of yam, gallons of cocking oil among others. The gesture according to the Deputy Director General of GAEC, Prof. Shiloh Osae is part of the commission’s annual activity to contribute its quota to the less privileged in the society.

In a short ceremony to welcome representatives from GAEC, Mr. Fred Quansah, the Administrator of the Leprosarium, who stood in for Rev. Father Andrew Campbell, Chairman of the Lepers Aid Committee expressed his profound gratitude to the Commission for its continued support.

He assured that stringent measures have been put in place to ensure that all items donated are given to the inmates.

Mr. Quansah further disclosed that the inmates undertake considerable farming activities to augment donations they receive from organizations and other philanthropists.

The Deputy Director General of GAEC, Prof. Shiloh Osae, in a short address encouraged the inmate to have continues faith in God. “God who created every person will heal you and also provide all your needs”, he stated.

He assured them of GAEC’s relentless support for the leprosarium.

Also present at the donation were the Director of Administration GAEC, Mr. Felix Adeku and representatives of GAEC Office of Corporate and Public Affairs (OCPA).

The Prefect of the lepers, Madam Gladys Adobea, who received the items, was thankful to the Commission for the support.

By: Mark Sarfo (Office of Corporate and Public Affairs – GAEC)

Ghana hosts international workshop on Dish Conversion for radio astronomy

The Ghana Space Science Technology Institute (GSSTI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) on Monday, opened an international Dish Conversion workshop on the mobilisation of radio astronomy technology for economic development.

Professor Dickson Adomako, the Director of the Ghana Space Science Technology Institute, at the opening ceremony in Accra, said the workshop is the first of the four series to be hosted in Ghana, Mexico, Thailand and the United Kingdom respectively, with financial support from the Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF), a UK Agency.

These workshops, he explained, would gather experts to discuss and share requisite skills, experiences and knowledge in radio antennae conversion, telescope controls and receiver systems among others, for socio-economic development.

The week-long workshop in Ghana would create the platform for participants who are from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, to share engineering expertise on the topic, learn more from Ghana’s Dish Conversion experience, and further build networks to facilitate the onward sharing of knowledge and information after the programme.

Prof Adomako said he would provide countries who were yet to have a dish conversion with the needed knowledge and skills for adoption, and for those advanced in the use of the technology, to share their expertise with others.

The Director who later narrated Ghana’s Dish Conversion experience, said it has not been an easy journey to convert the 32 metre ex-telecommunication antenna at Kuntunse in Accra, into a radio telescope.

He said “we have had to deal with administrative and technical challenges,” but the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), GAEC, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the Royal Society-UK, the Development in Africa through Radio Astronomy (DARA), and other international institutions have been committed to assisting with efforts to make a the project a success.

The GSSTI together with its collaborators, he said, have since the conversion, intensified outreach programmes to attract young talents into astronomy and related fields, and have been using the converted facility for research and training purposes.

He thanked the GCRF for providing funding for the workshop, and also for its commitment to the course of developing global astronomy.

Prof Melvin Hoare, Chairman of the Science Organising Committee (SOC), said the benefits of radio astronomy were enormous as it provided accurate data and forecast information to drive socio-economic development.

He commended Ghana for the tremendous success made so far in its strides towards the development of radio astronomy, saying this would enhance science and research development across the continent.

Madam Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said Ghana was the first among the partner countries to achieve these milestones and acknowledged the continuous collaborative work between scientists and engineers from Ghana and their colleagues from other parts of the world, especially South Africa and the UK.

She also mentioned the GSSTI’s collaboration with various international organisations to organise workshops, conferences, summer schools and training programmes, as well as award scholarships to a number of Ghanaian Scientists,

Technologists and Engineers to pursue Postgraduate studies in Astronomy and related fields in South Africa and the UK in particular.

“These are all opportunities for Ghana to build valuable human capacity in astronomy and to harness the relevant skills in Science, Technology and Innovation for socio-economic development of the country, she said.

Madam Appiagyei said the funding support from SARAO, GCRF, DARA, Newton Fund and all the other international establishments have been very encouraging and commendable for the sustainability of the Project.

“Obviously, as a country and globally, we are in the right direction and committed to building critical infrastructure to ensure that we fully enjoy the benefits of astronomy and its associated science, Technology and Innovation,” she said.

She said currently, universities in Ghana were working on introducing programmes and courses in astronomy and related fields and there is the need to enhance the efforts to include the teaching and learning in the academic curriculum.

She urged the GSSTI and its stakeholders to work assiduously on the interventions to promote astronomy education, and develop programmes that would address the current national, regional and global needs, while the government through the Ministry does its best to support these efforts.

Prof Benjamin J. Nyarko, the Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, commended the GSSTI for its current level of achievement in the development of Astronomy, saying “I have observed with admiration the progress made with the execution of the astronomy projects and programmes in the country.

“I am enthused about what had been achieved and what is yet to come, I am therefore not surprised to witness such a global astronomy workshop in Ghana today,” he said.

He explained that since Ghana officially decided to join the astronomy and space science fraternity in less than a decade ago, a lot has been invested, and with the support of countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom this dream has become.

Prof. Nyarko said the debate that Science, Technology and Innovation was key to national development remains pertinent and has been the motivation to keep pushing the scientific research and innovation agenda.

He said it is the hope that very soon the country would fully enjoy the benefits of astronomical technologies and other spin off businesses, and encourage charge participants of the workshop to translate the enacting experiences and expertise into forms that would help develop not only astronomy, but other relevant sectors of the economies of their countries.

Source: GNA

GAEC Trains Freight Forwarders on Radiation Protection and Safety

The Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) is organizing a Radiation Protection and Safety Training Course for Radiation Protection Officers (RPOs) and some Qualified Operators/Staff of Genuine Group Logistics in Accra to ensure public and environmental radiation safety.

The core objective of the programme is to ensure that the participants understand basic radiation physics in their line of duty to forestall possible health hazards associated with ionizing radiation as well as radioactive substances.

The seven participants (second batch) who are mainly staff of Genuine Group Logistics are expected to carry out practical laboratory exercises as part of the one-week course.

The Manager of the Radiation Protection Training and Consultancy Centre of RPI, Dr. Stephen Inkoom, in a short ceremony to welcome the participants, stated that his outfit is responsible for the training of workers in various institutions such as medical, research, industry and among others whose operations cut across the use and transportation of radioactive materials.

He explained that the course is key for freight forwarders since they have a tendency of transporting radioactive substances or devices that may contain radioactive materials. “Genuine Group Logistics are Logistics services providers in Takoradi – Ghana offering a wide range of logistics support services for companies and establishments in sectors such as oil and gas, maritime, mining and construction, banking and financial services, education, health, security services amongst others. So this training is a necessity considering their activities”, he stressed.

Dr. Inkoom explained that, the programme would equip the participants on the basic principles of radiation protection and how to apply them in their work environment. “The trainees would understand the national and international requirements for the control of ionizing radiation sources and also, emergency preparedness and response to abnormal situations involving the use of radioactive material”, he added.

He was confident that GAEC would continue to train more radiation workers in Ghana and Africa in order to ensure public and environmental safety to meet the standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He finally called on the institutions to ensure that their occupationally exposed workers are well trained to handle all peaceful applications of ionizing radiation based on regulations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA), Ghana.

By: Thykingdom Kudesey, GAEC – Office of Corporate and Public Affairs (OCPA)

Coming into Flower: How IAEA Support is Benefitting Ghana’s Floriculture Industry

Ghana and the IAEA have worked together for several years to develop national capacity in plant mutation breeding and tissue culture technology. Through its technical cooperation programme, the IAEA provided fellowships and scientific visits to build capacity, and also trained scientists in the skills needed to apply the technology in their fields of operation. This new capacity is now being used to strengthen Ghana’s flower growing industry.

The flower industry in Ghana is currently under-developed. Little research and development has been dedicated to the sector, and it faces challenges in the production and propagation of flowers. However, the industry has the potential to provide sustainable job opportunities that can reduce the high youth unemployment rate in Ghana, especially among university graduates.

“The flower industry is a highly-evolved market that contributes immensely to income and foreign exchange in most developed worlds,” said Abigail Tweneboah Asare, a research scientist and training facilitator. “However, it is an emerging industry in Ghana, with the potential to provide income and improve the livelihood of growers as well as provide foreign exchange for the country as a whole.”

In collaboration with the Ghana Flower Growers Association, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has recently began to train flower growers in modern propagation techniques. The training seeks to transfer current propagation technology to the flower growers, and to encourage the growers to adopt tissue culture planting materials to enhance their productivity. The use of tissue culture techniques and other modern techniques can have a considerable impact on agricultural productivity.

“The Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute of the GAEC has several ways it could assist flower growers, especially in the application of tissue culture and mutation induction techniques for rapid propagation, multiplication and continuous supply of planting materials,” said Ms Asare. “Furthermore, through the use of mutation induction, flowers with different aesthetic features can be produced by the Institute to boost the flower industry.”
Ms Asare noted that government has plans to expand flower production in Ghana for both new and old export markets. “The application of tissue culture techniques is key to achieving this vision within a short period time,” she said.

The training of the flower growers also included records and book keeping, entrepreneurship, and social media marketing – all skills which will assist the flower growers to carry out their businesses effectively.

Sheila Frimpong , IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation

IAEA Approves Nuclear, Cancer Treatment Reactor Projects for Nigeria

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has given Nigeria the go ahead to embark on five critical projects in nuclear power energy, cancer management, livestock production, governmental and regulatory infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety and radiation oncology.

The projects due to commence in 2020, were approved under the Country Programme Framework document.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, made the announcement yesterday at the ministerial conference on nuclear science and technology in Vienna, Austria.

Onu, who led the Nigeria delegation, said the designs of these projects had been completed and submitted to the IAEA for review. Those on the delegation included, Permanent Secretary Political & Economic Affairs Office.

OSGF ,Gabriel Aduda, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia, Vivian Okeke, Chairman Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, Professor S.P Mallam and Director Renewable Energy, Ministry of Science and Technology, Abbas Gunmi.

Last month, both Nigeria and IAEA signed the Country Programme Framework document for 2018-2023 cycle at the 62nd Session of the IAEA General Conference also in Vienna.

Onu said the document identified the priority areas of Nigeria’s partnership with the agency in a clear and practical fashion. The signing of the document is a precursor to the commencement of additional national projects under the 2020-2021 Technical Cooperation Cycle and beyond.

The minister disclosed that Nigeria’s arrangements towards the acquisition of a multi-purpose research reactor had reached an advanced stage, expressing hope that the acquisition will contribute to several developmental activities in the country in the provision of radiopharmaceuticals to support cancer diagnosis and treatment and research and training.

“Nigeria believes that steady electricity is a key element in the development of any nation. On this premise, Nigeria’s quest for the generation of electricity from nuclear resources cannot come at a better time especially with the dwindling of other energy resources and global efforts at mitigating climate change through the use of environmentally friendly technologies including nuclear. Meticulous planning and discussions are already ongoing towards Nigeria’s acquisition of her first nuclear power plant,” Onu said.

He expressed optimism that Nigeria’s Research Reactor, which was commissioned in 2004 with enriched uranium, will reach full power this week.

He said the reactor had proved very useful in mineral exploration and processing and the agricultural sector in soil fertility analysis, was recently successfully converted from the use of HEU to LEU attaining criticality early this month.

He also expressed Nigeria appreciation to IAEA in the provision of facilities and training of the needed manpower for the diagnosis and management of cancer in country.

He said the IAEA led training programmes had produced many qualified Nuclear Medicine Physicians, Radiation Oncologists, Radiographers, Medical Physicists and numerous other relevant professionals that are spread across the tertiary health institutions in the country.

Source: thisdaylive.com

School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences Celebrate UG @ 70

The School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) and the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS) held an opening ceremony on October 22, 2018 at the Great Hall to begin a week-long celebration marking the University’s 70th Anniversary.

The ceremony was well attended by industry players, faculty, staff and students of both Schools. Also present was Prof. Onwona-Agyeman, Dean of School of Engineering Sciences, and Prof. George Oduro Nkansah, Director of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology. The special guests included Prof. B. J. B. Nyarko, Director General of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Hon. Dr. Kwame Ampofo, Former Board Chair of the Energy Commission, Mr. Charles Amoako, Deputy Director General (Operations), Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. Paul Osei Ofosu, Ghana Standards Authority, Madam Lucy Dzandu, Institute for Scientific and Technological Information (INSTI), and Mr. Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, Ministry of Energy.

In his welcome address, the Acting Dean of SPMS, Prof. Robert Kingsford-Adaboh, said the theme for the celebration, “UG @ 70: Celebrating Excellence, Shaping Futures” emphasized the role of the University in the development of the country. He pointed out some of the University’s achievements such as being the best in West Africa, and winning several grants for cutting-edge research. He asked for increased support for the University, to develop the critical human resource needed for the country’s scientific and technological advancement.

The opening ceremony which was chaired by Prof. B. J. B. Nyarko, Director General of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) had two presentations. Dr. Stephen Yamoah of SNAS spoke on, “Nuclear Power in Ghana’s Energy Mix” while Dr. Ezekiel Nortey of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science gave a presentation on “Ghana Beyond Aid, the Role of Quality Data”.

In his closing remarks, the Chairman noted that the two topics treated were closely linked since data management was crucial in the field of nuclear energy. There were goodwill messages from the special guests who congratulated both Schools for their contributions over the years. They wished the University more years of innovation and excellence.

Source: ug.edu.gh

Ghana commemorates International Day of Medical Physics

The Ghana Society for Medical Physics has commemorated the 2018 International Day of Medical Physics, with a seminar in Accra on the theme: “Medical Physics for Patient Benefit”.

The annual event is celebrated on November 7, on the birthday of Marie Curie, a popular female scientist who pioneered research in radiation.

It seeks to raise public awareness about the critical role that medical physicists play within the healthcare delivery system.

Mr George Felix Acquah, the Head of Medical Physics, at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre, (SGMC), a cancer treatment facility, who delivered the keynote address, explained that the unique profession dealt with the application of physics principles for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

He said since the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancers usually involved the use of radiation-emitting equipment, medical physicists were employed in the clinical fields of radiotherapy, diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, with the primary responsibility of ensuring safety in the use of radiation for healthcare in hospitals.

They are responsible for the accurate calibration, management and operation of those equipment to help achieve a particular diagnostic or treatment goal in radiation medicine.

Mr Acquah said the theme was sensitive and dear to the hearts of medical physicists, considering their indispensable role as key partners of the healthcare team.

He, therefore, encouraged radiotherapy, diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine centres in Ghana to employ at least one Medical Physicist who would ensure that patients were diagnosed and treated with radiation in a safe manner.

Mr Acquah indicated that cancer prevalence has steadily increased worldwide, with less developed countries being the most affected, and called on the Government to step up efforts at establishing more well- equipped centres for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers.

Mr Eric Addison, the President of the Ghana Society for Medical Physics, said in spite of the critical role that medical physicists played within the healthcare system, they had been relatively less visible to members of the public, compared to other health professionals.

He encouraged them to be active and engage in activities that would make them more visible in the healthcare system of the country.

He called on the Government to take urgent steps to properly place medical physicists in the health structure of Ghana and upgrade their salaries to make the profession more attractive to young scientists.

Mr Addison said the Ghana Society for Medical Physics has 84 members and six regional organisations.

The minimum requirement to qualify as a Medical Physicist is a Master of Science Degree in Medical Physics and a two-year clinical internship, he said, and encouraged more scientists to opt for such courses, to boost the human resource base.

Dr. Francis Hasford, the Head of the Medical Physics Department at the University of Ghana, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS), and also the Secretary General of the Federation of African Medical Physics Organizations (FAMPO), said professional education was paramount in the healthcare delivery system.

He said Ghana had been voted as the headquarters of the FAMPO, placing in her hands a more trusted role to lead Africa in the progress of Medical Physics for effective healthcare delivery.

Dr Elvis Tiburu, the Head of the Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Ghana, speaking on the critical role that medical instrumentation played in patient care and management, said he was worried about the current state of the equipment in the nation’s health facilities, most of which had broken down with little or no hope of securing their spare parts for repairs.

He encouraged the Government and other stakeholder agencies to support biomedical engineers and equip them to use locally available materials to fabricate some of the hospital equipment that were otherwise expensive to purchase from overseas.

He suggested a multi-disciplinary research study and engagement of experts in the procurement of medical equipment into the country’s hospitals.

Professor John H. Amuasi, who chaired the occasion, encouraged participants from the University of Ghana, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and the Korle-Bu and Okomfo Anokye Teaching hospitals to take advantage of the platform to raise the needed awareness about Medical Physics in their communities.

Source: ghananewsagency.org