IAEA Deputy Director General Dazhu Yang and Tonya Steiner, Executive Director and CEO of the Global Access to Cancer Care Foundation sign an agreement to join forces in cancer care training in developing countries.

Global Access to Cancer Care Foundation (GACCF) https://www.globalaccf.org, the leading global cancer care organization providing oncology education programs in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), announced today that it signed a partnership agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to advance oncology training and treatments in LMICs in South America, Africa, South and East Asia.

The alliance will greatly enhance training for cancer care professionals around the world in radiation therapy and nuclear medicine, optimize resource mobilization to enhance comprehensive cancer control in LMICs, and spur collaboration on capacity-building by providing on-location teaching courses for practitioners in health facilities. The partnership will also organize outreach activities and awareness-raising programs through relevant regional/global initiatives and high-level events with key partners and stakeholders.

“Working together with IAEA we will increase the availability of technical resources and training for cancer care providers and help prevent unnecessary cancer deaths in developing countries around the world,” said Tonya Steiner, executive director of the Global Access to Cancer Care Foundation. “The scope of the global cancer epidemic is staggering. It is estimated that in 10 years there will be nearly 24 million cases globally and most of these cases will occur in low- and middle-countries that are unable to offer people the most rudimentary of cancer care and treatment.”

Founded in 2016, GACCF supports comprehensive clinical training programs in LMICs to create a core base of local cancer care professionals that include: oncology doctors, nurses, medical physicists, dosimetrists, and radiotherapy technicians. By collaborating with local professionals and institutions, GACCF continues to champion local solutions and enhance cancer treatment for the world’s most vulnerable patients through the science of radiotherapy.

Widely known as the world’s “Atoms for Peace and Development” organization within the United Nations family, the IAEA is the international center for cooperation in the nuclear field. The agency works with its member states and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.

To make a donation to GACCF, visit https://www.globalaccf.org.

About Global Access to Cancer Care Foundation:
The Global Access to Cancer Care Foundation (GACCF) offers training, technology, access, and hope; specifically for low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in South America, Africa, South and East Asia. The Foundation’s cancer care professionals help to implement and oversee training courses and workshops in collaboration with local partners such as universities, hospitals or governmental institutions that enhance cancer treatment through radiotherapy treatment. These regional programs aim to overcome the lack of trained professionals who treat cancer patients in the near term. By empowering local faculty to deliver training, the GACCF education programs encourage self-reliance and sustainability. To support the success of these programs, the GACCF provides project management, financial support, and professional teams from within and outside the region. For more information visit: https://www.globalaccf.org.