U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna
Vienna, Austria

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

United States Provides $500,000 to the IAEA for Enhancing Radiation Therapy and Medical Physics Capabilities in Egypt

On January 30, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration allocated $500,000 to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enhance the quality of cancer treatment in Egypt. This support is part of a larger effort by the United States to improve the lives of people in developing countries around the world through the peaceful uses of nuclear technologies.

Radiation medicine, including radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, and medical physics, have become essential components in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of many diseases, including cancer.

An integral part of this project will include the procurement and installation of a medical linear accelerator, or LINAC, which is used to destroy cancer cells, a key step in the treatment of many cancers. The LINAC will be used in training for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiotherapy technologists working in Egypt to improve the quality of services they provide. This project will enhance radiation therapy and medical physics capabilities for optimal patient management across Egypt.

The funds allocated to the project are U.S. voluntary funds provided to support the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Program. Through contributions to Technical Cooperation projects, the United States supports programs developed by Member States in coordination with the IAEA in areas such as health and nutrition, food and agriculture, water and the environment, industrial applications, and nuclear knowledge development and management.

The United States remains the single largest contributor to the IAEA. Since 2010, the United States has provided more than $400 million to the IAEA in extra-budgetary contributions to support peaceful nuclear activities. U.S. contributions to the IAEA support implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT, which requires NPT States Parties that are “in a position to do so” to “cooperate in contributing alone or together with other States or international organizations to the further development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”

The United States strongly believes in the continued benefits of the NPT, now in its 50th year, and applauds the IAEA’s efforts to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear technologies to assist developing countries.

More information on the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Program is available on the Agency’s website at https://www.iaea.org/services/technical-cooperation-programme

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