Jamaica is set to receive technical support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as the Government moves to significantly expand cancer care services across the island over the next two years.
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton made the announcement following a technical meeting with the Vienna-based agency on the margins of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, is being held from May 18 to 23, bringing together global health leaders to address pressing health challenges and policy responses.
Tufton said the Government is aiming to significantly scale up both cancer treatment and screening capacity in the public health system, with a strong focus on breast cancer detection.
He noted that mammogram services were previously “almost non-existent” in the public healthcare sector, but said the Ministry now intends to expand screening capacity to at least six additional hospitals, while also exploring ways to deliver these services at the primary care level through upgraded health centres.
“We want to see more than a doubling of capacity of both cancer treatment and cancer screening in the public system, and the IAEA would be helping us with that,” Tufton said.
He added that an IAEA technical team is expected to visit Jamaica in the coming months to assess existing infrastructure and help design a long-term expansion programme.
The review will include Jamaica’s linear accelerator (LINAC) facilities in Kingston and Montego Bay, which are used in radiation therapy for cancer patients. The team is expected to map out upgrades and assess the feasibility of establishing an additional treatment centre, potentially in central Jamaica to improve access.
Tufton said the expansion drive also includes strengthening diagnostic capacity, particularly mammography services, as part of broader efforts to improve early detection and treatment outcomes.
Beyond infrastructure, he said training and human resource development will be critical to the plan.
“The machines have to be managed by people and we are limited in that regard, so we are trying to work out a programme with them in conjunction with the University of the West Indies or any other institution for training more Jamaicans, or accessing better human resource capacity,” he said.
He also noted that the Government has raised ongoing challenges related to the maintenance and servicing of specialised cancer treatment equipment, and has asked the IAEA to assist in developing more sustainable technical support systems.
The partnership is expected to support both expansion and long-term resilience in Jamaica’s cancer care services, which continue to face pressure from rising demand and limited specialised capacity.
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