Africa-Press – Mauritius. A Regional Project Mid-Term Coordination Meeting, under the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA), opened this morning at Voilà Hotel in Bagatelle.
It is being held from 14 to 18 November 2022 within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Technical Cooperation Project. The event aims at enhancing the quality of the delivery of radiotherapy services in AFRA Member States through harmonised clinical training schemes.
The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal; the Adjunct Professor from the University of Milan, Mr Moura Carrara; the Consultant in Charge of Radiotherapy, New Cancer Centre, Dr Devi Tanooja Hemoo; and other personalities were present at the opening ceremony.
The event, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the IAEA, has as objectives to sensitise policymakers and come up with a 2023 Work Plan to pave the way for enhanced regional collaboration. Some 56 participants from 29 IAEA Member States, are attending the meeting.
In his address, Minister Jagutpal stated that Mauritius has been a member of the IAEA, which serves as an intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear technology and nuclear power worldwide since December 1974.
The IAEA, he underlined has contributed immensely in the development of nuclear medicine, radiotherapy in the health sector through several training programmes and capacity building.
The Minister recalled that the IAEA impact review mission was conducted in December 2018 and that the recommendations were taken into consideration in the drafting of the National Cancer Control Programme.
Government, he stressed, is committed to upgrade cancer care and treatment in line with international recognised Cancer Centres. In this endeavour, he pointed out that Government has invested in a modern 200 bedded cancer hospital, equipped with the latest technologies.
The IAEA, he said, is assisting Mauritius in the setting up of the National Cancer Hospital and experts from the IAEA came to Mauritius on an official mission with regards to the expansion of radiotherapy and nuclear medicines services.
The Minister also announced that the IAEA has agreed to partly fund one PET/CT scan, to be installed at the National Cancer Centre as well as provide training to the Departments of radiotherapy and nuclear.
The Health Minister furthermore indicated that radiation therapy is commonly used to treat cancer which is the leading cause of death worldwide accounting for 10 million deaths each year.
He pointed out that according to a recent publication in the Lancet, the number of patients with cancer in Africa is expected to increase to more than 1.5 million in 2030.
He also highlighted that countries in Africa still lack access to radiotherapy as a part of comprehensive cancer care. He therefore dwelt on the need for African countries to acquire radiotherapy equipment ensure the positive growth of the health sector in the region.
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