National Radiation Protection Agency

The mission of the National Agency for Radiation Protection is to protect people, property and the environment against the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. As such, it is responsible, among other things:

• To propose standards in matters of radiation protection;
• To authorize practices using sources of ionizing radiation;
• To give an opinion on requests for authorization, exploration and extraction of uranium ores and Thorium, in compliance with the provisions of the mining code;
• To carry out quality control operations on equipment and carry out inspections intended to verify the application of radiation protection regulations;
• To propose radiological emergency plans;
• To record data relating to environmental and professional dosimetry.

C1- Strategic vision

Following Law 95/08 of January 30, 1995 relating to Radiation Protection, the National Radioprotection Agency (ANRP) was created by Presidential Decree No. 2002/250 of October 31, 2002. The ANRP allows ensure the application of radiation protection regulations to all constantly increasing users, mainly in the fields of medicine and industry. The Agency is also a realization of Cameroon’s desire to implement the various legal instruments of radioprotection, nuclear safety and security under the aegis of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of which Cameroon is member since 1964.

C2- Main results

The ANRP was made operational in 2007 by the appointment of the first Director General and the Board of Directors. Since then she has:

• Carried out an inventory of ionizing radiation sources and users throughout the national territory, updated regularly;
• Undertook a review of the legislative and regulatory framework;
• Authorized users of ionizing radiation sources;
• Licensed workers;
• Ensured the dosimetry of workers under ionizing radiation
• Set up a laboratory for radiological control of foodstuffs and the environment;
• Conducted radiation protection inspections and quality control operations of medical radiology equipment;
• Performed a search for orphan radioactive sources;
• Carried out the self-assessment of its activities within the framework of the technical cooperation project with the IAEA;
• Validated the quality control guide in medical radiology and the import and export guide for ionizing radiation sources;
• Organized a refresher course throughout the territory, intended for different users of radiation sources;
• Acquired a reader and dosimeters intended for dosimetric monitoring of professionals working under radiation
• Acquired radiation detection equipment as part of cooperation with the National Nuclear Security Administration of the US Department of Energy.

C3- Révision du cadre législatif et règlementaire

Since 2010, the ANRP has undertaken the revision of the legislative and regulatory framework in the field of radiation protection, with a view to aligning its texts with international regulations in this area. For this, a new law establishing a general framework for radiological safety, nuclear security and the application of safeguards, and its implementing decree have been developed. These texts were the subject of interministerial meetings and are currently at the Presidency of the Republic for further processing.

C4- Status of authorizations

201 various authorizations were issued in the eleven practices currently in progress in the country:

C5- External dosimetry laboratory for monitoring workers under ionizing radiation

C6- Gamma spectrometry laboratory for the control of foodstuffs and the environment

C7- Radiation protection inspection and quality control of equipment

C8- Search for orphan sources

The first phase of the research campaign for radioactive sources outside regulatory control (orphan radioactive sources) was carried out. A source of Cs-137 located and identified at UYI, A source of Co-60 located and identified at the autonomous port of Douala, 48 radioactive lightning rods were located and identified in Douala and 23 in Yaoundé. Radiological monitoring of scrap metal and garbage depots was carried out in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala in 2011 and 2012 respectively.