IAEA Appoints Moroccan Oncology Institute as Collaborating Center

This election took place on the sidelines of the 67th regular session of the IAEA General Conference, held from September 25 to 29 in Vienna.

The election of the Institute as a collaborating center for the UN agency reflects the Kingdom’s efforts in promoting nuclear sciences in Africa, improving access to cancer treatment for patients, and combating animal-transmitted infectious diseases (i.e. zoonoses) on the African continent.

Presiding over the official announcement ceremony, Health and Social Protection Minister Khalid Ait Taleb stated that IAEA’s accreditation is a tribute to the Moroccan organization, which has dedicated many years to the fight against cancer. He noted that the Institute has achieved a high level of quality, thanks to its staff and expertise.

The challenge now is to maintain this accreditation in the coming years, emphasized the minister in a press statement, adding that the Institute has significantly contributed to cancer control and the training of doctors at both national and continental levels.

He recalled that a large number of African doctors specializing in cancer have been trained at this continental institute, in line with the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, aiming to establish the health sovereignty of the continent and reform the national healthcare system.

In the same vein, Minister Ait Taleb believes that accrediting the Sidi Mohammed Benabdellah National Oncology Institute as an IAEA collaborating center will strongly boost efforts to develop the national healthcare system.

In a similar statement, Ibn Sina University Hospital Director-General Raouf Mohsine highlighted the importance of the Institute’s election as a collaborating center by the IAEA at the national and continental levels. He emphasized that this election, occurring amid the ongoing national healthcare system reform, is a “source of pride” for Morocco.

As a reminder, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the IAEA had signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2022 to enhance cooperation in the fight against cancer and zoonotic diseases.