Francis Hasford, PhD
Chair, Publication Committee, IOMP

IOMP Participation in the 5th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices (2025)

The World Health Organization organized the 5^th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices in a virtual format on 2^nd – 4^th June 2025. The event brought together policy makers, professional bodies, industry players, etc. to dialogue on medical devices for global health priorities. The programme considered sessions on the selection of priority medical devices, medical devices information systems, essential in vitro diagnostics, innovation, regulation, health technology assessment for medical devices, health technology management, local production and technology transfer of medical devices, sustainability, human resources for medical devices, primary health care and the relation with the disease areas.

The International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP), World Health Organization (WHO), International Federation of Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE), and International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science (IFBLS) participated in Session 11 of the Forum, which focused on Health Workforce for Medical Devices. IOMP was represented by its Publications Committee Chair, Dr. Francis Hasford, who delivered a compelling presentation on the global medical physics workforce. His presentation underscored the pivotal role medical physicists play in ensuring the safe and effective use of radiological equipment in healthcare, while drawing urgent attention to the widening gap in workforce capacity – especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Dr. Hasford began by introducing the mission and global representation of the IOMP, which serves over 30,000 medical physicists through its six regional and 90 national member organizations. He outlined the multifaceted contributions of medical physicists in healthcare, particularly in radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, radiation protection, quality assurance, equipment calibration, and education and training. He highlighted that the roles of Medical Physicists are essential not only for improving clinical outcomes but also for safeguarding patients and staff in the use of ionizing radiation.

The presentation then transitioned to the global burden of cancer and the disparity in access to radiological services. Citing WHO data, Dr. Hasford illustrated that while developed regions such as North America and Western Europe have extensive access to radiotherapy equipment, Africa – despite its population of over 1.3 billion – has only about 500 radiotherapy units. This equipment gap significantly hinders cancer treatment and patient outcomes across the continent. Similar shortages exist in nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging infrastructure, further compounding the challenges LMICs face.

A focal point of the presentation was the alarming shortage of medical physicists globally. Dr. Hasford referenced findings from recent studies, including a global survey by Bezak et al. (2023), which revealed that LMICs account for just 6% of the global medical physics workforce. Africa alone has only around 1,040 medical physicists, with several countries lacking formal recognition or regulation of the profession. He emphasized that, to meet projected healthcare demands by 2035, the world would need approximately 60,000 qualified medical physicists – far above the current supply.

In discussing the workforce challenges, Dr. Hasford identified several systemic issues in LMICs: inadequate training programs, lack of professional recognition and regulation, poor working conditions, brain drain, and insufficient access to medical technologies and infrastructure. He particularly highlighted the shortage of medical physicists in diagnostic imaging in Africa, where the deficit is estimated to be twentyfold, according to Trauernicht et al. (2022).

Despite these daunting statistics, Dr. Hasford offered a forward-looking perspective, outlining both opportunities and strategies to address the workforce crisis. He acknowledged the supportive roles of international bodies such as the IOMP, IAEA and WHO, which provide training, technical cooperation, and policy guidance. Regional organizations like the Federation of African Medical Physics Organizations (FAMPO) and its counterparts in Asia and Latin America were recognized for their advocacy and efforts to build regional capacity.

Dr. Hasford emphasized the importance of leveraging digital platforms – such as webinars, online courses, and virtual mentoring – as scalable solutions for education and continuous professional development. He also called for the integration of medical physicists into national cancer control programs, recognizing their indispensable contributions to the delivery of safe and effective cancer care.

To move forward, Dr. Hasford proposed a set of practical strategies:

1. Policy Advocacy – Promoting medical physics as a regulated and recognized health profession.
2. Education and Training – Expanding and accrediting MSc and clinical residency programs that are responsive to the realities of LMICs.
3. Retention and Career Development – Enhancing working conditions, career pathways, and incentive systems to retain skilled professionals.
4. National Workforce Planning – Developing evidence-based strategies aligned with healthcare system needs.
5. Research and Innovation – Supporting locally relevant research to inform practice and policy in medical physics.

In conclusion, Dr. Hasford’s presentation was a strong call to action for global solidarity in addressing the gaps in the medical physics workforce. He urged stakeholders to work collaboratively toward building sustainable, equitable, and resilient health systems that can harness the full potential of medical physicists. His contributions at the forum reinforced the view that without a well-trained and adequately supported medical physics workforce, the safe and effective use of radiological technologies in healthcare will remain a major challenge – especially in regions where the need is greatest.

In the same panel discussion, Marc Nyssen of IFMBE shared the multiple activities and roles of the biomedical engineers and what IFMBE could do jointly with WHO, Marie Culliton of IFBLS gave important statements for laboratory scientists, and the challenges faced to diagnose patients in LMICs, while Sebastian Cognat, formerly of WHO, shared expertise and experience in his previous roles in WHO in laboratories and diagnostics and acknowledged the importance of continued education, noting the WHO academy has just started.

More details about the event, please visit: https://web.cvent.com/event/b619a42d-0c40-4ff7-8f2e-441a92ab3e99/summary