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U.S. funding to IAEA “Rays of Hope” Project Supports Cancer Treatment in Kenya
4 MINUTE READ
February 5, 2022

Photo taken at the opening of the Linear Accelerator Facility event at the Nuclear Applications (NA) Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, June 2019. (IAEA/Dean Calma)
Linear Accelerator Facility at the IAEA Nuclear Applications (NA) Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria. (IAEA/Dean Calma)

 

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is allocating $2.5 million in funding to help Kenya enhance radiation therapy for cancer patients with the provision of two medical linear accelerators, or “LINACs,” through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The United States is pleased to support the IAEA’s new initiative “Rays of Hope,” launched on February 4, 2022, which aims to close the gap in cancer care, particularly in Africa, where many countries lack or have insufficient facilities for radiation treatment.  This funding will enhance the provision of clinical services through the usage of two LINACs. A LINAC machine uses electricity, rather than a radioactive source, to deliver external beam radiation treatments to cancer patients.  Thanks to its accurate targeting of tumors, LINACs offer a safe, secure, and effective cancer treatment.

Kenya has made considerable progress in strengthening its capacity to address the increasing demand for cancer treatment. The U.S. contribution will further expand radiotherapy services for Kenyans and other regionally based patients in need of care.

This $2.5 million in funding is part of a much larger effort by the United States to improve the lives of people throughout the world by funding projects that reduce the risks of terrorists acquiring nuclear materials, while furthering the peaceful uses of nuclear technologies through the IAEA.

The NNSA’s Office of Radiological Security responds to assistance requests from domestic and international partners in more than 80 countries to enhance the security of high-activity radioactive sources and encourage the adoption and development of alternative technologies, such as LINACs, to reduce overall reliance on radioactive sources.

More information on the IAEA and on technical cooperation issues under https://www.iaea.org/services/technical-cooperation-programme.

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