The IAEA’s flagship Rays of Hope initiative is in the spotlight at this year’s Scientific Forum, which opens today at IAEA Headquarters in Vienna. As the premier side event of the IAEA General Conference, the forum will showcase how Rays of Hope is expanding access to cancer care, advancing innovation in care delivery and financing, and building partnerships to help close global gaps in cancer care
By Mary Albon, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
Each year, cancer claims over 10 million lives worldwide — a toll projected to almost double by 2050.
Although many cancers are treatable — especially when detected early — access to timely diagnosis and life‑saving care remains uneven. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often have limited access to modern medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment, trained oncology professionals, research capacity and essential services. More than half of all cancer cases occur in these countries, and nearly two-thirds of cancer deaths.
Radiotherapy, a cornerstone of cancer care, is needed by about half of all cancer patients. While most patients in high-income countries who need radiotherapy receive it, in low-income countries, as few as one in ten people with cancer have access. Some countries have no radiotherapy services at all.
For over 60 years, the IAEA has been helping countries tackle cancer by expanding access to radiotherapy, diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine. IAEA applied research has translated into innovations in imaging, radiotherapy and radiopharmaceuticals enabling safer, more effective diagnosis and treatments.
In 2022, IAEA launched the Rays of Hope initiative to help bridge global gaps in cancer care by expanding access where it is needed most.
“The IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative is working to reduce these profound disparities by providing high-impact, cost-effective support in underserved regions,” said IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “We are striving to ensure that people with cancer and their doctors have the tools they need to fight the disease no matter where in the world they are.”
Read more to learn about the main drivers of the global gap in cancer care, and how the IAEA is working with Member States to help address them.
1. Equipment and Infrastructure Shortages
Shortages of medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment put effective treatment out of reach for many people with cancer. Many are never diagnosed, misdiagnosed or only diagnosed when their cancer is at an advanced stage.
The disparities are stark: according to IAEA data, one radiotherapy machine serves on average 140 000 people in high-income countries, compared with over 15 million in low-income countries. LMICs also face shortages of medical imaging and nuclear medicine equipment.
Rays of Hope was launched in 2022 in Africa, where many countries had no radiotherapy machines at all. Since then, the initiative has supported the establishment or expansion of national radiotherapy centres in Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Senegal, Togo and Zambia.
In Latin America, Rays of Hope is building up radiotherapy care in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico and Paraguay. It is also expanding nuclear medicine services in Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal and Togo.
2. Workforce Deficits
Shortages of oncology, imaging and nuclear medicine professionals are a significant barrier to cancer care in LMICs. More than 90% of trained cancer professionals are concentrated in higher-income countries, leaving major gaps elsewhere that limit the availability, quality and expansion of cancer services.
Meeting projected global demand for radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiation therapy technologists by 2050 would require expanding the 2022 workforce by more than 60 per cent.
Rays of Hope Anchor Centres, regional leaders in cancer care, help build capacity by strengthening specialist skills across their regions while promoting the exchange of expertise and best practices. Through its technical cooperation programme, the IAEA supports in-person and online training in medical physics, radiation oncology, nuclear medicine and imaging, and radiopharmacy.
3. Research and Innovation Gaps
Most cancer research, which underpins innovation in diagnosis and treatment, is conducted in high‑income countries. As a result, cancers that are common in LMICs are often under‑studied, and research advances do not always address urgent needs. In many low‑resource settings, limited training in research methods and a lack of funding make it harder for local scientists to carry out studies.
Addressing these gaps requires sustained investment in research capacity in LMICs, including clinical trials that reflect local needs. The IAEA supports Rays of Hope Anchor Centres with targeted training in oncology and medical physics, helping them build expertise and mentor health professionals across their regions. Complementary initiatives, such as clinical research training programmes supported by the MD Anderson Cancer Center through Rays of Hope, strengthen local capacity and help ensure that innovation responds to the areas of greatest need.
Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All
Working closely with governments, academia, the private sector and international financial institutions, Rays of Hope pulls together all the strands of the IAEA’s efforts to strengthen and support national cancer control systems to expand access to cancer care and to advance research and innovation in diagnosis and treatment.
