A new partnership will enable the IAEA to better help low and middle-income countries provide increased access to early detection and treatment of paediatric cancer. Under the cooperation agreement with Childhood Cancer International (CCI), signed today, CCI and the IAEA will work together and provide specialized training for professionals working in paediatrics, increase awareness and mobilize resources to benefit children with cancer in IAEA Member States.
CCI brings together 188 organizations in 93 countries representing parents and young cancer survivors and works to promote best practices, develop effective, innovative approaches and deliver cost-effective solutions to reduce deaths from childhood cancer. It implements projects in several countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana and Myanmar to address the health care needs of children under treatment, train fellows in paediatric oncology, build sustainably run facilities and establish parent support groups.
Over 300,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed annually in children under the age of 14, and the number of cases is on the rise. A Lancet report in 2015 estimated that child survival in less developed parts of the world can be as low as 30%, compared to above 80% in high income countries.
