Close collaboration between the IAEA and World Health Organization (WHO) has contributed to tackling both cancer and COVID-19, IAEA leaders said at the WHO’s 148th Executive Board meeting this week. The double burden that COVID-19 and cancer pose to patients in low- and middle-income countries is of growing concern, and continued cooperation between the two organizations has been critical during the global crisis.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant setbacks in cancer care,” said May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the IAEA Division of Human Health in a virtual statement to the WHO Board today. Even before the pandemic spread globally, access to nuclear and radiation medicine was limited in many low-and middle-income countries, with inadequate or non-existent cancer prevention, screening, early diagnosis and treatment services.
Abdel-Wahab highlighted how with the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the IAEA has, throughout the pandemic, continued to help countries advance their comprehensive cancer control programmes through its Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, which involves assessing countries’ needs, assisting with planning and mobilizing partnerships and resources. “Thanks to this ongoing collaboration, Member States continue receiving these assessments despite COVID-19,” she said.
The IAEA provides training for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiologists and other professionals worldwide. The IAEA also assists countries in setting up facilities for radiotherapy and nuclear medicine, and to acquire equipment for diagnosing and treating cancer.
Abdel-Wahab explained that the IAEA supports fellowships, education and training workshops, and fosters the exchange of scientific and technical information through Coordinated Research Projects on cancer, including clinical trials. She also highlighted the IAEA’s role in key global initiatives on cancer such as the UN Inter-Agency Task Force for Non-Communicable Diseases and the UN Joint Global Programme on Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control. “Our efforts contribute to WHO-led global efforts towards an integrated approach to cancer control and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals."
