How Rays of Hope is expanding access to cancer care for all [eng., ar., zh., fr., ru., es.]

Cancer care is a global challenge, especially in those parts of the world where the number of cancer patients requiring radiotherapy is outpacing access to this technology. In 2022, only 21 per cent of countries met the minimum radiotherapy resource requirements. That year, 20 million new cases were diagnosed and 10 million people died from this non-communicable disease. The burden is heaviest in low and middle income countries (LMICs), where over 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur. Yet, LMICs receive only 5 per cent of global spending in this area. To expand access to lifesaving cancer treatment, particularly in LMICs where the need is greatest, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi launched the Rays of Hope initiative in February 2022. "Each individual death is a tragedy. The fact that cancers that are routinely diagnosed and successfully treated in high income countries are killing increasing numbers of people in developing countries is an injustice," says IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.