SingHealth to support UN atomic agency in strengthening regional capabilities

SINGAPORE — SingHealth will be designated as an anchor centre of the UN atomic agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), under an initiative that aims to help member states establish or expand capabilities in areas such as nuclear medicine.

As an anchor centre under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, SingHealth will support the international agency’s efforts to strengthen regional capabilities in radiation oncology, radiology, nuclear medicine and medical physics, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) in a statement on Sept 11.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu will witness the designation on the sidelines of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria. She will be in Vienna from Sept 13 to 15.

It is her first time taking part in the annual conference, now in its 70th edition.

Nuclear technology can be applied to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases. For example, nuclear medicine uses radiation to provide diagnostic information about the functioning of a person’s specific organs, or to treat them.

Anchor centres are institutions working in cancer care and research, according to IAEA’s website. They are selected for their clinical excellence, education programmes and research capacity, and serve as regional hubs for training, research and the exchange of expertise, MSE said.

As of December 2025, there are 18 of such centres globally, including South Korea’s Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Australia’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Estonia’s North Estonia Medical Centre.

During the visit, Fu, who is also Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, will deliver Singapore’s national statement. She will affirm Singapore’s longstanding support and cooperation with the IAEA on the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

She will also highlight Singapore’s ongoing efforts to strengthen domestic capabilities in assessing nuclear safety.

This includes Singapore’s preparations to undertake the first phase of the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) in 2027, which is part of the IAEA’s structured process for countries considering a civilian nuclear power programme.

In this phase, the IAEA will convene a team of international experts to visit Singapore and make an independent assessment of the country’s capabilities across 19 key areas. These aspects include nuclear safety, managing radioactive waste and emergency planning, among others.

Singapore has not made a decision on whether nuclear power could be part of its energy mix in the future, but is taking steps to study the feasibility of its use.

Fu will also meet IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and senior stakeholders across the civil nuclear sector, to discuss the latest developments in advanced reactor technologies, nuclear safety and regulation.

Also on the sidelines of the conference, the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) will also sign agreements with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology.

These agreements aim to strengthen collaboration in nuclear research and safety, and further Singapore’s efforts to build capabilities in this area.

Minister Fu will also meet with Singaporeans serving in the IAEA to hear about their work and contributions to the international nuclear field.

Chin Hui Shan is a journalist covering the environment beat at The Straits Times.