IAEA Rays Of Hope Initiative Delivers Critical Equipment To Restore Radiotherapy Services In Sudan
By Cyber Era NG Special Correspondent
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has delivered essential equipment to help restore radiotherapy services at the National Cancer Institute in the city of Wad Madani. The equipment, which arrived in Sudan in April and is in the process of being installed, marks a major step towards the re-establishment of this life-saving cancer treatment in Sudan after three years of interruption due to the civil crisis.
Located around 200 kilometres south of the capital, Khartoum, the Wad Madani National Cancer Institute (NCI) is Sudan’s second largest public cancer centre and a main provider of adult and paediatric oncology care in Al Gazira State, which is among the most populous states in the country.
The equipment, delivered through the IAEA technical cooperation programme under the Rays of Hope initiative and worth approximately US $2 million, comprises key components to refurbish the institute’s two teletherapy machines. It includes upgraded treatment planning systems and dosimeters. Radiotherapy services are expected to restart later this year, benefiting up to 10 000 patients per year once fully operational.
Radiotherapy – a treatment modality required by more than half of all cancer patients – was previously offered at public cancer centres in Khartoum, Shendi and Wad Madani, but services were halted in all three facilities because of equipment breakdowns, leaving many patients without access to treatment.
“In Sudan, the IAEA is helping rehabilitate radiotherapy centres in Khartoum, Wad Madani and beyond,” said IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “Cancer patients need care everywhere, always, but even more so in times of crisis.”
Sudan has faced a rising cancer burden for years, with nearly 30 000 new cases reported annually, according to global estimates.
“The IAEA support comes at a critical time, as radiotherapy services are almost entirely unavailable across the country,” said Sudan’s Minister of Health, Haitham Awad Allah. “The refurbishment of the NCI radiotherapy machines will not only save lives but also significantly reduce the suffering of patients and their families, while contributing to the recovery of the national health system.”
The IAEA conducted a technical mission in September 2025 to evaluate the status of the public radiotherapy centres and to develop a rehabilitation plan in close coordination with national health authorities.
NCI is the first facility to benefit from the IAEA assistance supported by national funding, which included the procurement and shipment of the equipment.
Additional assistance through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme is planned to restore services at the remaining centres, alongside training to strengthen national oncology capacity.
This effort is part of the IAEA Rays of Hope initiative to increase access to cancer care. Since its launch in 2022, Rays of Hope has supported the procurement of more than 90 items of diagnostic and treatment equipment, along with training for medical professionals, for more than 60 low- and middle-income countries.
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