Rays of Hope Forum - Programme

Programme

DAY 1: Monday, 30 June 2025

African Union Headquarters, Medium Conference Hall 1

Masters of Ceremonies:

• Mr Lelisa Amanuel Jira, Senior Advisor to the State Minister, Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
• Mr Kunuz Abdella Abdi, Technical Advisor, Cancer Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia

09:30–10:00 | Welcome Coffee

Moderator: Ms Sophie Boutaud de la Combe, Director of the Office of Public Information and Communication, IAEA

10:00–10:35 | Opening Session (Video →)

• Viewing of Rays of Hope video
• Welcoming remarks by HE Ms Mekdes Daba Feyssa, Minister of Public Health of Ethiopia
• Opening statement by Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency
• Remarks by HE Amb. Mohamed Al- Amine Souef, Chief of Staff, Cabinet of the Chairperson, African Union
• Remarks by HE Mr Temesgen Tiruneh, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia

10:35–11:15 | Rays of Hope – Perspective from Recipient Member States (Video →)

• HE Mr Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health, Benin
• HE Mr Gilbert Kabanda Kurhenga, Minister of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation of the Democratic Republic of Congo
• HE Mr Selibe Mochoboroane, Minister of Health of Lesotho
• HE Mr lbrahima Sy, Minister of Health and Social Action of Senegal
• HE Mr Lawrence Ookeditse, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health, Botswana
• HE Mr Fredrick Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, Kenya

11:15–12:00 | Rays of Hope Donor Member States (Video: Donor Member States and Ethiopia's journey →)

• HE Mr Jens Hanefeld, Ambassador of Germany to Ethiopia and Permanent Observer to the African Union 
• HE Mr Maurizio Busanelli, Permanent Representative of Italy to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 
• HE Mr Tsutomu Nakagawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the African Union 
• Mr Julien Voituriez, First Counsellor, Embassy of France to Ethiopia and to the African Union

Launch of partnership with St Jude

Mr Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, Executive Vice-President Director, St. Jude Global, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

12:00–12:30 | Ethiopia’s Journey to Improved Cancer Care (Video: Donor Member States and Ethiopia's Journey →)

Presentation by HE Mr Dereje Duguma Gemeda, State Minister for Programs, Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia

12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch Break

14:00 – 15:00 | Partnership for Hope (Video →)

Moderator: Ms Lisa Stevens, Director of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department  

• Mr Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Vice President of Investment Solutions, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (video message)
• Mr Luca Ferro, Charge d’affairs and attaché political and consular affairs, Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ethiopia, Djibouti & African Union
• Mr Chris Bonnet, General Manager – Strategic Projects & Government Growth, GE Healthcare
• Ms Leyla Traoré, Head of Representation to Ethiopia and the African Union, European Investment Bank
• Mr Kevin Massoudi, Vice President & Head of Public Sector Engagement, MEA, Siemens Healthineers
• Mr Takuma Otsuka, Head of Global Marketing and Global Health, Modality Solution Division, Medical Systems Business Division, FujiFilm

15:00–16:00 | Working Together for Sustainable and Quality Cancer Management with Anchor Centres (Video →)

Presentation by: Ms May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the Division of Human Health, IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications followed by a panel

• Ms Kathleen Schmeler, Associate Vice President, Global Oncology, Division of Cancer Network, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (video message)
• Ms Sadaf Tufail Butt, Radiologist and Nuclear Physician, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology & Radiotherapy Institute (AECH-NORI), Anchor Centre, Pakistan
• Mr Luis Rovere, Vice President Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA)
• Mr Lachgar Amine, Radiation Oncologist, National Institute of Oncology (INO), Anchor Centre, Morocco
• Mr Mike Sathekge, Professor and Head of Nuclear Medicine Department at University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital Anchor Centre, South Africa
• Mr Amine Habouchi, Head of Radiology Department at CHU Bab El Oued, Anchor Centre, Algeria
• Mr Vedang Murthy, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Anchor Centre, India
• Ms Shivani Tyagi, Public Affairs and Market Development Manager, Elekta
• HE Mr Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary, Science, Research and Innovation, Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary, Kenya

16:00–16:45 | Financing for Care (Video →)

Moderator: Lisa Stevens, Director of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department  

• Ms Olukemi Afun-Ogidan, Country Manager, Public Sector Operations for OPEC Fund for International Development
• Mr Tolulope Adewole, CEO, Medserv
• Mr Mayank Anand, Head of Non-Communicable Diseases and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, MedAccess
• Ms Fatima Haggar, Head, National Cancer Control Program, Chad
• HE Mr Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary, Science, Research and Innovation, Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary, Kenya
• Mr Supriyanto Ardjo Pawiro, Professor, University of Indonesia
• Mr Steve Muanza, Commissioner General for Atomic Energy, Democratic Republic of Congo

17:30–20:30 | Guided Visit of the National Palace (Jubilee Palace) followed by a reception dinner hosted by the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia

DAY 2: Tuesday, 1 July 2025

African Union Headquarters

09:00–09:30 | Welcome coffee

09:30–10:30 | Rays of Hope in Africa (Video →)

Moderator: Mr Gashaw Gebeyehu Wolde, acting Director of the Division for Africa, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department  

• Ms Fatima Haggar, Director, National Cancer Control Program (NCCP), Ministry of Health of Chad
• Mr Elias Melly Kipchumba, Chief Executive Officer, National Cancer Institute of Kenya (NCIK), Ministry of Health of Kenya
• Mr Steve Muanza Kamunga, Commissioner General for Atomic Energy (CGEA), Democratic Republic of Congo
• Ms Ndeye Yacine Dieng, Head Cancer Office Division of Non-Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health and Social Action of Senegal
• Mr Malam Mustapha, Secretary General, High Authority of Atomic Energy of Niger (HANEA)
• Ms Kabelo Mputsoe, Clinical Radiation Oncologist, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Lesotho
• Ms Tlotlo Ralefala, Consultant Radiation Oncologist, Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana
• Ms Hiwot Solomon, Lead Executive Officer, Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health, Ethiopia

10:30–11:30 | Rays of Hope in Latin America and the Caribbean (Video →)

Moderator: Mr Luis Longoria, Director of the Division for Latin America and the Caribbean, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department

• Mr Luis Rovere, Vice-President, National Atomic Energy Institute, Anchor Centre, Argentina
• Mr Ariel Fariña, Coordinator Master Programme, Fundación Arturo López Pérez (FALP), Chile
• Mr Daniel Brizuela, Head of the Technical Project Unit, Ministry of Health of Honduras
• Mr Mitchell Fitzgerald, CEO Nuclear medicine Unit, University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica
• Mr Jose Ortiz, Surgery Oncologist and Hospital Director, State Cancer Centre Veracruz Dr. Miguel Dorantes Mesa (CECAN), Mexico
• Mr Guillermo Batista Hernandez, Jefe de Fisica Medica y Oficial de Proteccion Radiologica, Caja de Seguro Social, Panama
• Mr Victor Palacios, Advisor to the Special Commission for the Prevention, Monitoring, and Control of Cancer of the National Congress, Peru
• Mr Cesar Federico Lorenzo, Professor, Universidad de la Republica de Uruguay, Uruguay

11:30–13:00 | Lunch Break

13:00–13:30 | Rays of Hope in Europe (Video →)

Moderator: Ms Mayumi Yamamoto, Program Management Officer, Division for Europe, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department

• Mr Ivan Lasic, Director of State Regulatory Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Ms Dilyara Kaidarova, Chairman of the Board, Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology, Kazakhstan
• Mr Olimjon Azizov, Head of Management, Public and International Relations Department, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Safety and Security Agency, Tajikistan
• Ms Deniz Yalman, Professor and Head of the Department. Ege University, Izmir, Anchor Centre Representative, Türkiye

13:30–14:30 | Rays of Hope in Asia and the Pacific (Video →)

Moderator: Ms Kimberley Frolov-Roessler, Program Management Officer, Division for Asia and the Pacific, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department

Remarks from HE Chheang Ra, Minister of Health, Cambodia (video message)

• HE Mr Peter Hunter, Ambassador of Australia to Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti, the Central African Republic, the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Ethiopia, Embassy of Australia
• Mr Manduul Enkhjargal, Nuclear Medicine physician, Nuclear Medicine Center, Second State Central Hospital of Mongolia
• Ms Sadaf Tufail Butt, Radiologist and Nuclear Physician, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology & Radiotherapy Institute (AECH-NORI), Anchor Centre Pakistan
• Mr Kanchan P. Adhikari, Professor, Medical Physics / Radiation Safety Officer, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, President of Nepalese Association of Medical Physicist, Nepal
• Mr Krisanat Chuamsaamarkkee, Lecturer, Medical Physicist, Anchor Centre Representative of Thailand

14:30–15:00 | Coffee Break

15:00–16:00 | Rays of Hope and Breast Cancer (Video: Rays of Hope and Breast Cancer and Closing Remarks →)

Moderator: Ms Lisa Stevens, Director of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department  

• Ms Sewera Deju, Breast cancer survivor and member of Nigat Breast Cancer Support Group, advocate and counsellor
• Mr Luis Longoria, Director of the Division for Latin America and the Caribbean, International Atomic Energy Agency
• Mr Ignatius Abowini Nchor, Chief Program Officer, Ministry of Health, Ghana
• Ms Miriam Mutebi, President, African Organization for Research and training in Cancer (AORTIC)
• Ms Susannah Stanway, Co-convenor London Global Cancer Week

16:00 16:30 | Closing Remarks  (Video: Rays of Hope and Breast Cancer and Closing Remarks →)

• Mr Gashaw Gebeyehu Wolde, acting Director of the Division for Africa, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department
• HE Ms Mekdes Daba Feyssa, Minister of Health of Ethiopia