South Africa unveils cutting-edge nuclear medicine facility
Date: 2025-06-25
President Cyril Ramaphosa has conducted an oversight visit to the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI) facility at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, showcasing South Africa's world-class capabilities in medical imaging and pharmaceutical development. The state-of-the-art center represents a groundbreaking collaboration between government, academia, and private sector partners in the fight against cancer and tuberculosis.
Accompanied by
Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, and
senior healthcare officials, the President toured the R850 million facility
that positions South Africa at the forefront of theranostics, an emerging field
combining diagnostics and targeted radiation therapy. Professor Mike Sathekge,
Head of Nuclear Medicine, demonstrated how the center's PET/CT scanners and
cyclotron enable precision diagnosis and treatment development for Africa's
most prevalent diseases.
"This
facility embodies our National Development Plan's vision of harnessing science
for social benefit," said President
Ramaphosa. "Here, researchers are developing solutions for diseases
that disproportionately affect Africans, using technology previously only
available in the global north." The NuMeRI center has already
contributed to nine international patents and trained 142 specialists since its
2023 launch.
Minister
Motsoaledi noted the facility's role in decolonizing medical research: "For
decades, Africa exported samples and imported solutions. NuMeRI reverses this
by developing context-appropriate technologies like our heat-stable TB tracer
agents."
Premier Lesufi
noted the project's innovative funding model combining government investment
(60%) with private sector and international grants. The facility forms part of
Gauteng's R2.1 billion health infrastructure upgrade, creating 387 technical
jobs while serving public patients.
As President Ramaphosa witnessed a live demonstration of lutetium-177 PSMA therapy for prostate cancer, a treatment developed through the facility's research – he commended the team for achieving "more than just advanced equipment, but a complete reimagining of African healthcare sovereignty."
By: Kanto Kai Okanta
