WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC BUREAU REGIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Sixty-fifth session Manila, Philippines 13–17 October 2014 Agenda item 15
WPR/RC65/IGO/1 15 October 2014 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
STATEMENT BY THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY Thank you Chair, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Representatives, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to congratulate the WHO Western Pacific Region Member States, the Ministers and partners here today for their commitment in the efforts to strengthen the prevention and control of NCDs. It is a pleasure to be here today representing the International Atomic Energy Agency and its Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). In line with its mandate in the field of human health and directly related to cancer and NCDs, the IAEA has provided assistance to Member States through its Technical Cooperation delivery mechanism in the areas of radiation medicine (including radiotherapy, diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine), radiation safety and quality assurance, all of which are essential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. We are all aware of the growing global burden of cancer. Within this region, the number of new cancer cases is expected to grow by 59% from 2012 to 2030 and mortality by an unsettling 69%. Luckily the world has identified cost-effective interventions and the IAEA, WHO and partners are forging partnerships with Member States to reduce the growing burden on health systems. In response to the developing world's cancer crisis, the IAEA established the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) to fully realize the public health impact obtained through global partnerships in cancer control and technology transfer in radiation medicine. The IAEA, through PACT and its partners the WHO, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and others, coordinate global efforts to support low and middle income States in the implementation of comprehensive national cancer control programmes. One of the key services provided by IAEA/PACT to Member States is the imPACT Review, an assessment of the Member State’s cancer control capacity and needs looking at the Member State’s readiness to develop and implement a long-term plan to build capacity in radiation medicine, including the relevant safety, regulatory and quality assurance requirements. This activity involves our partners WHO and IARC throughout every step of the process. So far in the WPRO region, Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Viet Nam have received an imPACT Review Mission. Two countries of the region, namely Mongolia and Viet Nam, are PACT Model Demonstration Sites (PMDS). These are pilot projects in Member States aimed at demonstrating synergies between partners, donors, cancer experts and national authorities for effective cancer control
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planning and implementation. Both Member States have expanded and improved their radiotherapy capacity thanks to the mobilization of resources through this initiative. PACT’s support to Member States largely relies upon external financial resources. To date, PACT has mobilized more than US $30 million in extra budgetary funding from development banks, bilateral donors, Member States, partner organizations and the private sector. The coordination between the IAEA and WHO WPRO constitutes, along with the commitment of other partners and Member States, a good example of collaboration for assisting countries in the area of cancer control. Thank you.