Participants practise image-guided procedures on training phantoms during the National Training Course on Strengthening Paediatric Medical Imaging Practices in Ulaanbaatar. (Photo: M. Mikhail/IAEA)
More than 300 radiologists, medical imaging technologists, paediatricians, surgeons and other specialists from every province of Mongolia have strengthened their skills in paediatric medical imaging through a national training course aimed at making medical imaging for children even safer and more accurate. The course was delivered by the IAEA human health and technical cooperation programmes, in collaboration with local and international partners .
Held at the Mongolian National Centre for Maternal and Child Health in Ulaanbaatar about a year ago, the course was timely and needed, according to Battulga Chuluunbaatar, Head of the Centre's Radiology Department. "As an enduring result, our medical teams are systematically providing safer, more accurate diagnoses to our children across the entire country."
One year on, thanks to the training course and the continued investment from the Government of Mongolia, image-guided, minimally invasive biopsies have improved from 20% before the training course to 80% in 2026, representing a significant improvement in the diagnostic imaging capacity for children with cancer in the country.
Safe and Accurate Diagnosis for Children
Prior to the training, the IAEA and partners identified gaps in Mongolia's paediatric imaging services, including through a 2024 imPACT Review . These included a lack of imaging protocols specifically designed for children and limited access to image-guided biopsies used for diagnosis. To close these gaps, the IAEA and its partners designed a targeted training curriculum for Mongolia's paediatric imaging workforce.
The training combined theoretical sessions, hands-on exercises and interdisciplinary discussions on paediatric imaging, including ultrasound, X-ray, fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging. Image-guided biopsy workshops improved participants' practical skills and prepared them to train colleagues at their hospitals, helping to spread expertise beyond the capital. Participants practised on training phantoms, models that mimic the human body, procured by the IAEA or produced locally.
The course promoted the use of evidence-based practices in diagnostic and interventional radiology for children. Participants developed skills in clinical decision-making, radiation protection, image interpretation, standardized reporting and case reviews, as well as working within tumour boards where specialists review cancer cases together. The national training course also helped put global imaging guidelines into practice and accelerated the implementation of standardized imaging protocols tailored to children.
"This training marks a transformative step forward for paediatric healthcare in Mongolia," said May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the IAEA Division of Human Health. "By equipping medical professionals from all over Mongolia with advanced paediatric diagnostic imaging skills, we are not only addressing a critical gap in clinical care but also strengthening the health system that will protect and improve children's health across the country for generations to come."
Held at the Mongolian National Centre for Maternal and Child Health in Ulaanbaatar, The National Training Course on Strengthening Paediatric Medical Imaging Practices was held in collaboration national and international partners, including the Mongolian Ministry of Health, UNICEF, the Mongolian Society of Paediatric Radiology (MSPR), Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, the World Federation of Paediatric Imaging (WFPI), the International Society of Radiographers and Radiation Technologists (ISRRT), and the Hong Kong Children's Hospital (HKCH). (Photo: IAEA)
Uniting Partners to Deliver Long-Term Impact
The training reinforced close collaboration between the IAEA and key national and international partners, including government counterparts, UN partners, professional societies and hospitals.
The Mongolian National Centre for Maternal and Child Health worked side by side with the Mongolian Ministry of Health, and national and local partners were pivotal to the course's success. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) contributed essential support by providing translation services, audiovisual resources and national dissemination of the training. Expert lecturers recruited by the IAEA came from the Hong Kong Children's Hospital, the World Federation of Paediatric Imaging and the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists.
"Collaborating with the IAEA on this nationwide training allowed us to directly bridge global advanced imaging techniques with local clinical needs," said Joanna Kasznia-Brown, former President of the World Federation of Paediatric Imaging. "This is exactly the kind of global partnership required to elevate paediatric radiology and ensure that every child, regardless of where they live, has access to safe, early and accurate diagnostic care."
Sustaining Progress Across Mongolia
Participants have returned to hospitals in all 21 provinces, where they are applying their new skills to make diagnosis safer and more accurate for children. A CT-guided biopsy mannequin procured by the IAEA will support continued train-the-trainer activities.
The course has also built momentum for a national radiology society. Participants and local partners have called for follow-up sessions to build on progress and expand quality paediatric radiology practices across the country.
"Mongolia has taken important steps to strengthen cancer care by using evidence-based planning to identify cancer control priorities and mobilize investment," said Deng Ge, Director for Asia and the Pacific at the IAEA's Department of Technical Cooperation. "Through Rays of Hope, the IAEA continues to support the country in strengthening nuclear medicine and radiation oncology capabilities across all areas to deliver quality care to patients."
