Paraguay is one of the countries that has been benefitting from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Rays of Hope initiative which supports the establishment, strengthening and expansion of radiation medicine around the world.
Progress was shared during the IAEA Rays of Hope Conference last month in Vienna, Austria where Paraguay’s radiotherapy successes and future plans were presented by Dr Raul Doria, Director of the National Cancer Institute.
Dr Doria also spoke of the City Cancer Challenge Foundation’s work in Paraguay to convene local stakeholders and support the development of a “Radiotherapy Development Plan” with the provision of technical expertise. This plan has now been incorporated as a crucial element to Paraguay’s National Cancer Control Programme by the Ministry of Health.
Rolando Camacho, Global Technical Advisor for C/Can said
The preparation of the Radiotherapy Development Plan was a first step to increase access to radiotherapy in Paraguay. The Plan, prepared by the local team with C/Can and global expert advice, built on long term support provided by the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme and will form the basis for future interventions, particularly with regard to capacity building in the country.
C/Can has been working with Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay, since 2017 where a data driven needs assessment for the most urgent gaps in care resulted in nine cancer care related projects led by local technical experts. The expansion of radiotherapy services across the country was identified as a key area of focus.
The IAEA technical cooperation programme will continue to support Paraguay through the 2024-2025 TC cycle with a new project under the Rays of Hope initiative. This project will focus on training the medical professionals needed to operate the radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging machines and provide safe and timely cancer services.
The IAEA is proud to have supported the expansion of radiotherapy services in Paraguay through its technical cooperation programme,
shared Luis Longoria, Director of the Division for Latin America and the Caribbean, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department.
We will continue our efforts to support patients with cancer in the country by investing in a highly trained and professional medical workforce,
he added.
