Establishment of a Training Centre in Linear Accelerator Technology (TCLAT) Abstract: A linear accelerator (linac) is a scientific instrument that increases the kinetic energy of charged particles such as proton and electron. In a linac the charged particles (beam) move on a straight pathway in a special evacuated tube called accelerating waveguide and ended with an ionizing radiation coming out from the linac head. The linac used in Medicine for the treatment of cancer using ionizing radiation is called clinical linac (Clinac). Nowadays the Clinacs have become predominant radiotherapy machine in the treatment of cancer. Initially the Clinacs were mostly available in developed countries. According to Victor et al, 1999, there were 61 Clinacs all over Africa in 1998, of which 85% were based in two African countries, namely Egypt and South Africa. A recent publication shows an increased number of African countries operating Clinacs in their Radiotherapy Centres. According to literature the number of Clinacs triplicated, rising from 61 in 1998 to 189 in 2013. It is also expected that more African countries will have their own Radiotherapy Centres equipped with Clinacs.Despite the relative spreading of Clinacs in Africa the machines are still very expensive. A high number of African countries, about 40, do not have their own machine for cancer treatment. The countries possessing Clinacs in their Radiotherapy Centres, face three major problems Reichenvater, 2012. First, training a team of qualified Medical Physicist, Oncologist and Engineer required for correct use of these machines is expensive. Second, a routine maintenance of the machine must be carried out by a qualified Engineer. Third, the availability of spare parts of the machine at a reasonable price is limited. Meanwhile, there is a growing need of using Clinacs for the treatment of cancer. But the problem arising regarding training/maintenance/spare parts cannot be neglected. One way out to solve this problem is to encourage and strengthening the cooperation among African Radiotherapy Centres. In order to tackle the training/maintenance/spare parts problem together, it is, hereby, presented the project Establishment of a Training Centre in Linear Accelerator Technology (TCLAT). This centre is planned in close cooperation between the University Eduardo Mondlane, and the Mozambican Ministry of Health in Maputo and the Technology for Africa in Vienna. The TCLAT shall be operated on the grounds of the University Eduardo Mondlane in its main Campus in Maputo and it will be equipped with a refurbished Varian Clinac and a second hand ct scanner. The main objectives of the TCLAT are to train experts in Clinac technology for Medical Physicists, Oncologists, Radiographers, Engineers and Radiation Protection Officers; to provide preventive maintenance and service, focusing on African conditions; and to hold a pool of spare parts on particular emphasis on Clinacs installed in Southern of Africa. There are benefits for Mozambique by establishing a TCLAT. Some of them are:• The Medical Physics Master Course to be opened soon at the University Eduardo Mondlane will use the TCLAT experimental facilities. • One Ph.D. and one Licentiate Mozambican students of Medical Physics at Stockholm University may also use TCLAT for their research. • Selected Ph.D. students from the Faculties of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering may also use the TCLAT for thesis work.• The TCLAT will assist the future Radiotherapy Centres to be installed across the country by the Mozambican Ministry of Health, one of which is under construction at Central Hospital in Maputo. The Southern Africa region will also benefit from the TCLAT. Activities such as transfer of general knowhow, availability of preventive maintenance and services programs at competitive prices access to relative cheap spare parts by collective negotiation with the manufactures, ability of carrying out first and second level repair work and facility to share statistical information on cancer incidences and distribution will be carried out by the TCLAT.