A discussion on strategic partnerships to fight the cancer epidemic in low- and middle-income countries has called for more to be done to combat one of the most menacing threats to global health.
Welcoming delegates at the event organized by the IAEA Division of Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) on 25 September 2014, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano emphasized, “The IAEA is much more than the world’s ‘nuclear watchdog’. The Agency helps to make nuclear technology available to developing countries for peaceful purposes. With regard to cancer, we help countries to establish or upgrade oncology and radiotherapy centres, and to build capacity in nuclear medicine for diagnosis.”
At the well-attended event on the sidelines of the 58th IAEA General Conference, Director General Amano reiterated the need for political will and commitment among world leaders to make the fight against cancer a top national priority, noting that “by 2020 an estimated 10 million people will die from this disease each year.” Acknowledging global efforts, he also highlighted the strong collaboration of PACT with international organizations and other relevant stakeholders to coordinate a global response to the growing cancer epidemic in low- and middle-income (LMI) Member States.
IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, Kwaku Aning, introduced the panel members: Ambassador Mitsuru Kitano of Japan, Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo of South Africa, Ambassador Hernán Estrada Román of Nicaragua, Rachid Bencherif, Head of the Grants Unit, OPEC Fund for International Development, Peggy Grueninger, Head, Corporate Donations and Philanthropy at Roche African Research Foundation; Twalib A. Ngoma, Executive Director, Ocean Road Cancer Institute, Tanzania; Julie Torode, Deputy CEO and Director of Advocacy for the Union of International Cancer Control (UICC), and Andreas Ullrich, Medical Officer, Cancer Control of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The panel, moderated by Nelly Enwerem-Bromson, IAEA Director of PACT, made a number of salient observations:
- Global health is indispensable for human security, and knowledge expertise and further developments in radiation therapy are critical for the wellbeing of mankind in the fight against cancer;
- To ensure the safe and peaceful use of nuclear technology for cancer control, human resource development and capacity building is vital;
- Sustainable projects in cancer control and treatment are required and LMI countries should have a national cancer control plan in place, which is an ‘effective weapon’ to fight cancer across the different levels of care;
- Strong advocacy activity that vigorously pushes the agenda for cancer control and treatment on a global platform is essential;
- It is vital to raise cancer awareness as this is a critical ‘building block’ in creating an understanding of cancer control in civil society.
The panel also noted that since its inception in 2004, PACT has played a significant role in broadening awareness on the role of radiation medicine in early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. The panel also referred to Practical Arrangements signed between the IAEA and partners, noting that the latest one (with the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon partnership, established by the George W. Bush Institute) will focus on capacity building through knowledge exchange, cancer control assessment missions and mentoring.
The role of imPACT Review Missions in countries such as Nicaragua was highlighted. Such missions provide a country with a comprehensive assessment of its cancer control capacity and needs, and are conducted in close collaboration with WHO and other partner organizations. In Nicaragua, support from the IAEA for the installation of radiotherapy equipment as well as training has had an important impact on cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The benefits of the establishment of a Virtual University for Cancer Control (VUCCnet), supported by regional cancer training and mentorship networks in Sub-Saharan Africa, were also reflected in the discussions. VUCCnet, set up in 2010, supports training and mentorship networks within and among LMI countries, and utilizes a web-based platform to make educational materials on cancer diagnosis and treatment accessible to trainees. VUCCnet’s online outreach programme aims to improve training and early detection of cancer, and to ensure that cases are handled by well-trained health workers.
During the course of the panel discussion, Japan announced a voluntary contribution of US $625 000 towards new PACT projects. Contributions from the United States and other donors were also noted in the question and answer session that followed the discussion.
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Enwerem-Bromson thanked the participants for their attention to a grave health subject. She stressed that a proactive, strategic and sustained global action to address and invest in the future for cancer control and treatment is critical to saving lives.
Strategic partnerships in the field of cancer diagnosis and treatment may take many different forms, but their main goal is to maximize the complementary expertise and mandates of the global cancer control community for the benefit of low- and middle-income IAEA Member States.