Cancer patients around the world are being given better access to life-saving care thanks to support from the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, participants at a Rays of Hope Forum heard.
Rays of Hope aims to widen access to life-saving cancer care where there is the most need; by helping low- and middle-income countries establish or expand medical imaging, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine services. Since its launch in Ethiopia three years ago, more than 90 countries have requested support under the initiative.
“Cancer is a top cause of death in Africa, taking 2000 lives a day,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaking at the Forum opening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday. “Three years ago, here at the African Union Headquarters, we launched Rays of Hope. Today, we are bringing cancer care to countries that had none.”
Temesgen Tiruneh, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, said: “Let this Forum be a call to collective action. Let it inspire deeper cooperation, bolder?investments, and unwavering solidarity — so that no child dies from a treatable?cancer, no mother waits endlessly for a diagnosis, and no nation is left behind?simply because of geography or GDP.”
The Minister of Health of Ethiopia, Mekdes Daba Feyssa and the Chief of Staff of the African Union Mohamed Al- Amine Souef also gave opening remarks at the Rays of Hope Forum.
During the morning sessions, representatives from countries that have received support under the Rays of Hope initiative shared their experiences.
These included Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health in Benin, Gilbert Kabanda Kurhenga, Minister of Scientific Research and Technology in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mekdes Daba Feyssa, Minister of Public Health in Ethiopia, Selibe Mochoboroane,?the Minister of Health in Lesotho, lbrahima Sy, Minister of Health and Social Action in Senegal, Lawrence Ookeditse, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health in Botswana and Fredrick Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health in Kenya.
Countries which have donated to the Rays of Hope also spoke of the importance of the initiative. Speakers included Jens Hanefeld, Ambassador of Germany to Ethiopia and Permanent Observer to the African Union in Ethiopia, Maurizio Busanelli, Permanent Representative of Italy to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, Tsutomu Nakagawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the African Union and Julien Voituriez, First Counsellor, Embassy of France to Ethiopia and to the African Union.
Watch the live stream here.
