By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Oct. 7, GNA – Professor Joseph Amoako, the President of the Ghana Association of Radiation Professionals (GARP), has called for stronger radiation protection systems and the training of competent professionals to safeguard workers, patients and the public from potential risks associated with radiation sources.
He said radiation protection was essential across sectors where they were used, including healthcare, mining, telecommunications, industry and research, stressing the need for adequate expertise, regulation and infrastructure.
Prof. Amoako was speaking at the maiden Non-Ionizing Radiation Symposium organised by GARP on the theme: “Radiation Safety: Protecting the Public, Patients, Workers, and the Environment,” as part of the celebration of the 2026 Radiation Protection Week.
He explained that radiation was energy that could broadly be classified into ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, with ionizing radiation possessing sufficient energy to affect human cells and DNA.
He explained that non-ionizing radiation generally did not have the same level of energy but could produce heating and other effects in biological tissues.
He gave some common sources as mobile phones, microwave ovens, antennas, visible light, lasers, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) devices, while noting that technologies using non-ionizing radiation had become integral to modern life.
Prof. Amoako said concerns about mobile phones and other electronic devices, particularly on claims linking them to cancer and other diseases, had created the need for public education based on scientific evidence.
“We need to depend on science,” he said, explaining that the symposium was intended to provide the public with accurate information, address misconceptions and enable experts to respond to lingering questions about non-ionizing radiation.
He noted that non-ionizing radiation had numerous applications in medical technology, electricity generation and transmission, telecommunications, broadcasting, electric vehicles and internet-based technologies, which had contributed significantly to technological advancement.
However, the benefits of those technologies should be accompanied by appropriate measures to address concerns about their potential health effects, he said.
Prof. Amoako said GARP was advocating the training of competent health physics and radiation protection professionals who could work in areas such as mining and the extractive industry, telecommunications and healthcare facilities, including radiology, diagnostic and radiotherapy centres.
He said a strong licensing regime was also necessary to ensure that practitioners had the requisite knowledge and experience to perform their duties safely.
Prof. Amoako called for a well-defined and streamlined legal and regulatory framework covering areas where radiation sources, whether ionizing or non-ionizing, were used.
He said such measures would help protect workers, patients in healthcare facilities and members of the public who might be exposed to radiation sources in public spaces.
Dr Roland Yaw Kudozia, the Head of Resource Market, Access and Compliance, National Communications Authority, called for increased public education, continuous testing and scientific research to address concerns about radiofrequency emissions from telecommunications infrastructure and devices.
He explained that wireless communication relied on radio waves, with mobile phones connecting to base stations through specific portions of the radiofrequency spectrum.
Dr Kudozia said the NCA worked with the Ghana Standards Authority and industry stakeholders to establish common technical standards, while ensuring that imported mobile phones underwent approval processes to meet minimum safety specifications.
He stressed the need for transparent communication of radiation measurements and public education based on scientific evidence to help consumers understand the levels considered safe.
He noted that continuous research and testing were necessary despite existing studies on the safety of telecommunications technologies.
“The mere fact that we know that studies have found out that these things are safe doesn’t mean that we go and sleep. We must always do studies and research to ensure that we are still safe,” he added.
On 5G technology, Dr Kudozia explained that it offered faster data speeds and greater bandwidth than earlier generations of mobile networks, including 2G and 3G, enabling quicker internet access and supporting remote work and other data-intensive activities.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo