CIRSE Access to Care Initiative Seeks to Strengthen IR Training and Treatment in Africa and Eastern Europe

August 18, 2026—The Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) has launched the Access to Care initiative, a comprehensive capacity-building program to support access to interventional radiology (IR) treatment and IR training through targeted, regional activities.

The initiative has been outlined in an editorial by Philippe L. Pereira, MD, et al in the society’s journal, CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology.

According to the editorial, the initiative is funded by the Gehrig-Pereira Grant, which aims to support the advancement of independent and unbiased medical education in the field of IR and improve access to IR worldwide, with a focus on Africa and Eastern Europe. Through this grant, CIRSE aims to empower local expertise and ensure sustainable access to IR care for patients, noted the editorial.

Dr. Pereira and colleagues advised that two expert task forces, one focusing on Africa and one on Eastern Europe, have conducted a gap analysis for the respective regions, identifying priorities and shaping practical project outlines adapted to real needs.

For the Africa-focused program, four countries were selected for the program launch, aiming to develop four public academic teaching hospitals into regional IR training hubs, with CIRSE supporting scholarships for trainees as well as visiting faculty.

As noted in the editorial, IR approaches to abscess formation, uterine artery embolization, and image-guided biopsies for cancer diagnosis could address major health care shortcomings in African nations.

In Eastern Europe, Access to Care aims to address disparities between regions in terms of service provision, training, and visibility. A preliminary analysis showed that certain countries have only very few trained interventional radiologists, other countries lack equipment, and there are regions with neither enough interventional radiologists nor equipment.

Additional information on the Access to Care initiative is available on the CIRSE website here.