KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – The country’s cancer control programme is expected to be strengthened following an assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Since Monday (March 4), a high-level team from IAEA has been carrying out a comprehensive evaluation of the country’s cancer control capacity in the areas of cancer planning, cancer information, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, palliative care, and training.

Coming out of the appraisal, the team will make recommendations for the development of the island’s cancer control capabilities.

Health Minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson, who met with the IAEA representatives at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) in Kingston today (March 5), welcomed the assessment, noting that it will provide “a quantum shift in how we deal with cancer care in Jamaica”.

He noted that the cancer care agenda is one of the priority areas of the administration, as it seeks to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Jamaica.

Currently, NCDs account for more than 56 per cent of deaths in the country, 21 per cent of which is due to cancer.

“Jamaica made a commitment, in the global community, to reduce NCDs by 25 per cent by 2025, and we intend to do everything in our power to meet that target,” Ferguson stated.

He said that in meeting the target, Jamaica has formulated its first strategic plan for NCDs. The plan addresses the four major conditions causing death and morbidity in the country, namely: cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory diseases; and the four major risk factors – physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco use.

Today’s discussions with the IAEA representatives focused on cancer control planning and management, epidemiology, cancer prevention, early detection and screening, diagnosis and treatment, radiation oncology and palliative care.

Specific focus was placed on looking at the current situation, the country’s achievements so far, national priorities, identifying gaps, needs, and challenges, as well as charting the way forward.

The team, which will be in the island until March 8, will also undertake a capacity and needs assessment for the effective implementation of the country’s radiation medicine programme as a component of a comprehensive National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP). Additionally, the group is to prepare a management plan for the consideration of the Government.

The team will also help to reintroduce nuclear medicine technology in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and will be visiting a number of public health care facilities as well as private cancer care centres.

Part of the United Nations system, IAEA serves as the world’s central inter-governmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field. The agency works with member states and multiple partners worldwide, to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies.