Vienna, Austria
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today in Vienna, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Louis L. Bono announced a contribution of $5 million in U.S. funding to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help Low- and Middle-Income countries prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. The $5 million contribution will support IAEA cancer activities in the areas of training and education, procurement of equipment, and promoting innovative technologies. Of this amount, $500,000 will be dedicated specifically to projects related to childhood cancer.
This assistance will support the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Department’s Program of Action on Cancer Therapy (PACT). Established in 2004, PACT integrates radiotherapy in comprehensive cancer control through technical advisory services, providing materials, and training personnel. In the past two years, the U.S. has provided over $2.2 million in extrabudgetary funding to assist in the IAEA’s work on cancer prevention and treatment, in addition to millions of dollars in U.S. funding that supports various Technical Cooperation projects focused on cancer treatment and control.
The latest $5 million contribution was announced at a PACT briefing on cancer activities and funding needs. Addressing IAEA leaders and other select donor Member States, Chargé Bono focused on those people who are unable to access affordable early cancer detection, timely and accurate diagnosis, and treatment. Only 5% of global spending on cancer is aimed at Low- and Middle-Income countries, even though these countries are expected to see the greatest increase in new cancer cases and deaths a year by 2030.
“The United States supports the IAEA’s cancer activities because we believe in the Agency’s unique technical capabilities to address Low- and Middle-Income countries’ pressing needs,” he said. Chargé Bono also encouraged others to contribute to the IAEA’s cancer activities and encouraged the IAEA to seek new funding streams and to develop partnerships that expand the impact of the IAEA in Member States.
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. The United States, through support for IAEA cancer activities and partnerships with IAEA Member States, works to reverse these trends and move closer to U.S. goals of reducing cancer deaths and saving millions of lives.
More information on the IAEA’s Program of Action for Cancer Therapy is available at https://www.iaea.org/services/key-programmes/programme-of-action-for-cancer-therapy-pact
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