African Regional Cooperative Agreement
for Research, Development (AFRA)
CONTACT DETAILS
Dr Neil Jarvis from NECSA is the National AFRA
Coordinator for South Africa.
Dr NV Jarvis, AFRA National Coordinator
NECSA, P O Box 582, PRETORIA, 0001
Telephone : +27 (12) 305-5246
Facsimile : +27 (12) 305-5944
E-mail : nvjarvis@aec.co.za
HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS
AFRA was founded by Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia
and entered into force on 4 April 1990. The Agreement
stems from an initiative of several African Member
States of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) to help establish a regional arrangement
for cooperation in the field of nuclear science
and technology in Africa. AFRA seeks to accelerate
moves towards self-sufficiency in scientific disciplines
and appropriate technologies by coordinating in
Telephonelectual and physical resources and disseminating
innovative methods and practices in a cost-effective
manner.
South Africa's role in AFRA is linked to its overall
support to the IAEA's Technical Cooperation Programme
TCP) in Africa.
OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COOPERATING ORGANISATIONS
• South African Nuclear Energy Corporation
(NECSA)
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
RELEVANT TREATIES
Treaty of Pelindaba
MEMBERS
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya,
Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Niger,
Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan,
Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
GENERAL COMMENTS
In order to address Africa's needs in terms of
nuclear science and technology, AFRA has identified
certain projects and established Specialized Teams
to solve the problems. South Africa sent a Specialized
Team to Ghana in November 1998 to clear that country
from radium needles. Ghana has consequently been
certified free of danger from radiation originating
from depleted uranium sources. In addition, a Specialized
Team from South Africa on Nuclear Medicine Tunisia,
Ethiopia and Morocco to audit their medical facilities.
Other projects where South Africa plays a leading
role are the following: neonatal screening, improvement
of clinical radiotherapy, sustainable regional capability
in nuclear medicine, increased productivity and
profitability in milk and meat production, radiation
processing of food and industrial products, consolidation
of regional capabilities for maintenance of medical
and scientific instruments, as well as the investigation
of origin of leakage’s in dams and artificial
reservoirs.
AFRA is very active in the sphere of nuclear science
and technology, and could play a useful role in
the embodiment of the vision of the African Renaissance.
