ISLAMABAD: At the IAEA General Conference side event titled “Beyond Boundaries: The Rays of Hope Anchor Centres Network and the Future of Cancer Care”, held in Vienna, Pakistan underscored its strong commitment to combating cancer through advanced treatment facilities, international collaboration, and capacity building initiatives.
Delivering Pakistan’s statement, the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar, highlighted that cancer remains a major health challenge in the country, with more than 180,000 new cases emerging annually.
To address this burden, PAEC has established 20 cancer hospitals across Pakistan, staffed by highly trained professionals, collectively serving over 80 percent of the nation’s cancer patients. These facilities provide high-quality diagnostic and treatment services either free of charge or at subsidized rates, directly contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-Being.
Dr. Anwar further said that Pakistan has also partnered with the IAEA’s “Rays of Hope” initiative, extending expertise, training, and best practices to developing countries under the framework of South-South Cooperation and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. A milestone achievement came in 2023 when the Nuclear Medicine, Oncology, and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI) in Islamabad was designated as an IAEA Anchor Centre.
In addition to serving people in the capital region, the hospital also treats patients from neighbouring countries. NORI is equipped with advanced facilities such as the Cyber Knife, the first of its kind in Pakistan’s public sector.
Since its designation, NORI has played a key role in education, training, research, and quality assurance. It has hosted three international hybrid seminars, each attracting over 500 virtual participants, and contributes actively to international research forums, including MD Anderson courses. He added that NORI is also leveraging innovative tools such as Virtual Reality Headsets provided by the IAEA to advance training in cervical cancer treatment.
Concluding the statement, Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar said that Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to working closely with the IAEA and international partners to reduce the global cancer burden and to further strengthen the “Atoms for Health” agenda.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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