Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –
Thanks to support from the IAEA initiative “Rays of Hope” Cancer patients around the world can now more easily receive the life-saving care they need, participants were told at the forum “Rays of Hope”.
The Rays of Hope initiative aims to increase access to cancer care where it is needed most by helping low- and middle-income countries build and strengthen their capacity in medical imaging, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. Since its launch in Ethiopia three years ago, more than 90 countries have applied for support.
“Cancer kills 2,000 people a day in Africa, making it the leading cause of death on the continent,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Monday at the opening of the forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “Three years ago, we launched the Rays of Hope initiative here at the African Union headquarters. Today, we are helping to bring cancer care to countries where it was previously unavailable.”
Temesgen Tirune, Deputy Prime Minister, said: “This forum must be a signal to work together. Let it inspire us to strengthen cooperation, increase investment and continue to show solidarity – so that no child dies from curable cancer, no mother has to wait forever for a diagnosis and no country is left behind simply because of its geography or the size of its GDP.”
The opening of the Rays of Hope forum was also addressed by Ethiopian Health Minister Mekdes Daba Feissa and African Union Chief of Staff Mohamed Al-Amin Suef.
During the morning sessions, representatives of countries supported by the Rays of Hope initiative shared their experiences. Among them were: the Minister of Health of Benin Benjamin Hunkpatin, Minister of Scientific Research and Technology of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Gilbert Kabanda Kurhenga, Minister of Health of Ethiopia Mekdes Daba Feissa, Minister of Health of Lesotho Selibe Mokhoboroane, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Senegal Ibrahima Say, Deputy Minister of Health of Botswana Lawrence Ookeditse and Principal Secretary of the Kenyan Ministry of Health Fredrick Uma Oluga.
The importance of the Rays of Hope initiative was also underscored by the countries that have made contributions to it. The forum was addressed by the German Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Observer to the African Union in Ethiopia Jens Hanefeld, the Permanent Representative of Italy to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia Maurizio Busanelli, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the African Union Tsutomu Nakagawa and the First Counsellor of the French Embassy in Ethiopia and the African Union Julien Voiturier.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.