Three Medical Institutes Join IAEA's Rays of Hope as Anchor Centres

Anchor Centres are cancer institutes recognized for their deep technical expertise, long-term commitment, and robust governance and medical infrastructure.

Three medical institutes, including the first-ever from Latin America, have joined the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) flagship cancer initiative, Rays of Hope, as Anchor Centres. This brings the current total to nine such centres worldwide. The Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA) in Argentina, the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana in Slovenia, and the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI) facility at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in South Africa will serve as knowledge and capacity-building hubs for their regions, advancing cancer care by strengthening radiation medicine capacities in neighboring countries.

Anchor Centres are cancer institutes recognized for their deep technical expertise, long-term commitment, and robust governance and medical infrastructure. They play a crucial role in the IAEA's Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to expand access to cancer care in countries where it is most needed. These centres provide targeted support in research, education, training, innovation, and quality assurance.

During a ceremony held at IAEA headquarters in Vienna on 6 June, representatives signed agreements designating their facilities as Anchor Centres for the next four years. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi remarked, "These centres will enhance cancer care and innovation, bringing life-saving treatments to more communities."

Luis Rovere, CNEA's Vice President, expressed his optimism: "From Argentina, we just want to transmit the hope that we can make some difference." CNEA has united nine medical institutes across Argentina to leverage collective experience and expertise in diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, oncology, radiation therapy, and proton therapy. These institutes will collaborate with the IAEA on various activities in human health, education, training, radiology, radiotherapy, and radiopharmacy. CNEA will also assist in the strategic planning, design, and development of new radiotherapy and nuclear medicine projects in the region. The IAEA's support, such as on the feasibility of adopting proton therapy, has already enhanced Argentina's cancer treatment capabilities.

The Institute of Oncology Ljubljana will further advance radiation medicine in Europe and Central Asia as the region's Anchor Centre. Established in 1937, the institute has previously collaborated with the IAEA on projects including breast cancer detection and diagnosis, radiotherapy practices assessments, and clinical trials on advanced cancer treatment techniques. The institute has co-authored scientific articles with the IAEA and hosted fellows, courses, and training workshops. Under Rays of Hope, it will build on this work. "I really hope that Slovenia will be a good partner – a good Anchor Centre – in this important project," said Andraž Jakelj, the Institute's Director General.

In Africa, the NuMeRI facility at Steve Biko Academic Hospital will support the establishment and upgrade of cancer centres across the continent. The hospital has a long history of collaborating with the IAEA on clinical research, education, training, quality assurance, and professional network development. As a Rays of Hope Anchor Centre, it will enhance regional radiation medicine capabilities through multidisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing. "It is important to realise that no one fails alone [and that] no one succeeds alone as well," said Mike Sathekge, Head of Nuclear Medicine Department at Steve Biko Academic Hospital.

May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the IAEA Division of Human Health, highlighted the collective effort: "Together with the Rays of Hope Anchor Centres in Algeria, Morocco, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, and Türkiye, the new centres in Argentina, Slovenia, and South Africa will help accelerate progress against cancer by leveraging innovation, best practice, and collective experience to close global care gaps. For patients around the world, these centres promise a future in which equitable cancer care for all becomes a reality."