Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: September 16 (EI) – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Monday unveiled its plan to build a regional Cancer treatment center in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa at a cost of 450 million U.S. dollars.
The eight-member regional bloc unveiled its plan to establish an East African Cancer Center, which is said to be IGAD’s flagship healthcare initiative with a financial budget of close to 450 million U.S. dollars, during a resource mobilization event here on Monday.
Construction of the regional Cancer Center is expected to be completed within the coming two years period, according to IGAD.
Executive Secretary of IGAD, Mahboub Maalim, addressing the meeting that aimed to mobilize resources to support the establishment of center, also urged IGAD member countries as well as its partners to join hand towards the realization of the planned regional cancer center.
“We need commitment to the IGAD Regional Cancer Centre of Excellence to give hope to citizens suffering from cancer in the region,” Maalim said.
The Ethiopian Minister of Health, Amir Aman, also stressed the crucial significance of the newly unveiled Cancer treatment center initiative towards modernizing cancer treatment initiatives in the region.
“Ethiopia has a strong political commitment to make the center a reality by allocating resource and land,” Amir said, as he affirmed the Ethiopian government’s readiness to play its utmost efforts in successfully funding the project.
The regional Cancer Center is also said to address cancer-related healthcare needs of the eight IGAD member countries that are Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda.
