'Across Africa' Brings Global Imaging Dialogue to RSNA 2026
Half-day session will highlight education, sustainable partnerships and opportunities to strengthen imaging systems in Africa.
The momentum generated by RSNA’s inaugural Across Africa program will continue at RSNA 2026 with a half-day session exploring practical strategies for strengthening diagnostic imaging throughout the continent.
Across Africa: Advancing Diagnostic Imaging will take place Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon and is open to all annual meeting registrants at no additional cost. The program will bring African radiology leaders and international collaborators together to discuss clinical education, workforce development, patient-centered imaging systems and sustainable partnerships.
The session builds on the inaugural Across Africa program, held in Cape Town, South Africa. The event attracted 120 participants from 19 countries, demonstrating the demand for specialized education and greater collaboration across borders.
“The presence of 120 attendees spanning 19 countries at this inaugural event sends an undeniable, booming message: Africa has a massive, urgent appetite for specialized clinical education, and our radiology professionals are deeply committed to elevating patient care,” said Linda Tebogo Hlabangana, MBBCh, PhD, president of the Radiological Society of South Africa and honorary adjunct professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
According to Prof. Hlabangana, meeting that demand requires more than isolated educational events. “Programs must help develop locally relevant expertise and establish sustainable training pipelines,” she said.
She cited structured neuroradiology subspecialty training at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania as an example. Developed through the RSNA Global Learning Center (GLC) and collaboration with Yale University in New Haven, CT, the program provides training contextualized to local pathology while helping build a local faculty pipeline.
Prof. Hlabangana also said the model can help support the retention of locally trained radiologists and strengthen the participating institution.
“What struck me most is that the people involved take personal ownership of the Across Africa initiatives,” Prof. Hlabangana said. “For them, it is not a tick-box exercise. It is a personal endeavor that they have invested in and take pride in.”
Strengthening the Entire Imaging System
During the RSNA 2026 session, Miriam Mikhail-Lette, MD, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical officer and diagnostic radiologist, will present From Policy to Daily Practice: Strengthening Patient-Centered Imaging Systems Across Africa.
The IAEA and RSNA entered a formal partnership in 2024 to help expand medical imaging capacity, particularly in underserved regions. Their work combines professional education and international expertise with African leadership and locally identified priorities.
Dr. Mikhail-Lette’s presentation will emphasize that sustainable imaging systems depend on more than the availability of equipment. She pointed to trained professionals, appropriate referrals, reliable equipment, clinically appropriate imaging acquisition, safety, accurate reporting and subspecialty expertise as essential components.
“Inadequately strengthened health systems jeopardize not only the health and well-being of individual patients but the health, resilience and overall prosperity of entire nations,” Dr. Mikhail-Lette said.
She said progress should be judged by its effect on timely diagnosis and patient care, not simply by the number of professionals trained or pieces of equipment installed. IAEA-supported efforts include pediatric fellowships for healthcare professionals from Kenya and expansion of mammography services and workforce capacity in Malawi.
“Effective partnerships combine international expertise with African leadership and locally identified priorities,” Dr. Mikhail-Lette said. “Synergies facilitate specialized training, mentorship, knowledge exchange and regional centers of excellence, enabling African institutions to train and support professionals across borders.”
Central to that approach is recognizing the expertise already present across the continent.
“Africa’s radiology professionals are not simply beneficiaries of international cooperation; they are essential leaders, educators and innovators,” Dr. Mikhail-Lette said.
Creating Connections at RSNA 2026
For African radiologists, the RSNA annual meeting offers access to education, research, technology and professional communities that may otherwise require several separate international trips, according to Omolola Mojisola “Monica” Atalabi, MBBS, MD, MBA, professor of radiology at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.
“Academically, everyone always learns something new as the meeting provides the avenue to learn about the latest developments and new findings in radiology,” Prof. Atalabi said.
She noted that visits to the Learning Center at the meeting have given young attendees ideas for their own presentations, including work involving diseases commonly encountered in Africa but less familiar in developed countries.
Prof. Atalabi added that the Technical Exhibits also give radiologists and healthcare decision-makers opportunities to speak with vendors about equipment, purchasing and maintenance.
“Coming to RSNA is preferred as this affords us the opportunity to ‘kill two birds with one stone,’” Prof. Atalabi said, referring to the ability to combine the annual meeting with gatherings of radiology subspecialty organizations.
But Prof. Atalabi also noted the challenge of reaching radiologists across a continent as large as Africa. She said some radiologists, including those in West Africa, were unable to travel to the Cape Town program and suggested that hosting future programs in West and Central Africa could broaden participation.
The Across Africa session at RSNA 2026 will offer opportunities for learning and relationship-building. A scheduled break will allow participants to speak directly with faculty, ask questions and develop connections.
For Prof. Hlabangana, the learning opportunity runs in both directions. She hopes attendees gain an appreciation for the clinical ingenuity and resilience of African radiologists, including how they deliver services despite highly strained infrastructure. She said attendees can also learn from their experience with aggressive, late-stage cancers that are more commonly encountered on the continent than in Western populations.
“Ultimately, global health equity is an invaluable, bidirectional exchange of expertise that makes the entire global radiology community smarter, more adaptable, and more compassionate,” Prof. Hlabangana said.
Across Africa at RSNA 2026
Across Africa: Advancing Diagnostic Imaging – Imaging Africa
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 8 a.m., S101