Objective. To assess the resources and potential for the use of PET technology in the Republic of Belarus.

Materials and methods. Data on the availability and use of equipment for PET diagnostics in the Republic of Belarus for 2017—2021 are presented. A comparative analysis of the number of PET scanners and their use in different countries of the world and the Republic of Belarus in 2019 is based on the data of the IAEA IMAGINE electronic resource and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Results. In relation to the population of the Republic of Belarus from 2017 to 2021, the number of PET scanners was increased from 0.317 to 0.428 devices per 1 million, and the number of studies conducted on them from 0.560 to 0.908 per 1 thousand population of the country. Taking into account the level of economic development the number of this equipment in the Republic of Belarus, which belongs to the upper middle-income countries, in 2019 amounted to 0.425 per 1 million people and was larger than the average level of the number of PET scanners for this category of countries, which was 0.301 per 1 million inhabitants. The number of examinations per 1 device (1,726 scans) in 2019 in our country was larger than in the Baltic countries, a number of countries in Western and Northern Europe, as well as the USA and South Korea.

Conclusion. The number of PET scanners in the Republic of Belarus (4 units) does not meet the recommendations on the need for 1 PET scanner per 1–1.5 million of the country’s population. In relation to the population, their number in 2019 exceeded the average for upper middle-income countries by more than 40 %. The discrepancy between the actual number of PET scanners and the recommended one is compensated by the relatively high intensity of their use. For
a more rational use of PET technology and an increase in the number of studies, it is necessary to develop reasonable indications for expanding the range of PET studies, as well as the introduction of new radiopharmaceutical drugs into clinical practice.