Tanzania asks support from nuclear watchdog to beef-up cancer treatment

Tanzania on Thursday appealed to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to support its plan of purchasing a modern cancer treatment facility known as linear accelerator (LINAC).

The new facility which is commonly used for external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer will be installed at the Dar Salaam's Ocean Road Cancer Institute-the country's major health facility for cancer treatment.

Tanzania's Deputy Minister of Health, Social Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Hamisi Kigwangalla made the plea here when met with IAEA Project Manager in Africa, Solomon Haile.

Two years ago, IAEA expressed its commitment towards supporting the east African nation acquire the facility. but Tanzanian government failed to meet the basic requirement in time.

The purchase of the respective cancer treatment facility was a two-way fold whereas the government was required to provide 50 percent of the total cost which currently amounting to 4 million dollars.

As the government failed to meet the key requirement, IAEA decided to withdraw its financial support to Tanzania.

The minister said: "As government, we've already allocated 2 million dollars as required by the IAEA."

According to Dr Kigwangalla, the Linac was among the important heath facilities needed at Ocean Road for improvement of the care and treatment.

However, Haile promised to table the Tanzanian request at the IAEA's headquarter based in Vienna, Austria.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa, and cervical cancer, which is almost entirely preventable, ranks as the leading cause of cancer and cancer deaths for African women.

East Africa has the highest cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in the world. Incidence of cervical cancer in the region is 42.7 per 100,000 women, and mortality rates in East African countries range as high as 54 deaths per 100,000 women in Tanzania and 76 per 100,000 in Malawi.

In North America, there are less than 7 new cases and 3 deaths per 100,000 women each year. The high incidence and mortality in Africa result in part from a shortage of more than 800,000 health care professionals in the region, which severely limits prevention and treatment of the disease. Enditem