ASNR renewed as a Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organisation

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  • Information notice

23/07/2026

On 22 July 2026, the World Health Organisation (WHO) renewed the ASNR’s status as a ‘WHO Collaborating Centre’ in the field of radiation protection for a further four years.

Since 2010 (when the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety was first accredited), the WHO, a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), has been drawing on French expertise in the field of radiation protection.

Around 830 institutions in 85 countries support the WHO: they are designated as ‘collaborating centres’ to carry out support activities in a wide range of health-related fields.

As part of this renewal, the WHO and ASNR have identified three priority areas:

  • Medical and public health preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological emergencies,
  • Radiation protection in medical exposure,
  • Radiation protection in ‘existing’ exposure. 

ASNR supports the WHO in developing recommendations, preparing for and responding to radiological and nuclear emergencies from a health perspective, establishing strategic research agendas in the field of radiation protection, and communicating and disseminating knowledge related to the medical and health consequences of radiological and nuclear risks.

Since 2010, ASNR has thus regularly provided scientific and technical support to the WHO, notably:

  • In 2011, to define a method for assessing the impact on the Japanese population of the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan.
  • In 2017, to define the 10 actions required to improve radiation protection in the medical sector (Bonn Call for Action), and to draw up recommendations on iodine prophylaxis in the event of a nuclear accident (Iodine Thyroid Blocking: Guidelines for Use in Planning for and Responding to Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies).
  • In 2022, as part of its efforts to prepare Ukraine’s medical and public health response to radiological and nuclear threats.
  • In 2023, to draw up recommendations on national stockpiles of medical countermeasures for radiological and nuclear emergencies (National stockpiles for radiological and nuclear emergencies: policy advice).
  • In 2026, by organising the 18th coordination meeting of the REMPAN network (Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network), the WHO network dedicated to medical assistance in the event of a radiological emergency (more information).

ASNR also regularly takes part in Joint External Evaluation (JEE) missions aimed at assessing the capacity of WHO Member States to prevent, detect and respond rapidly to public health risks, whether these arise naturally or as a result of deliberate or accidental events. ASNR recently supported JEE missions in Albania (more information) and Germany.