The OPEC Fund for International Development is expanding its support for cancer care in low- and middle-income countries, beginning with a project to establish the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first public radiotherapy centre.
OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa announced the initiative while opening the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Scientific Forum 2026, held alongside the agency’s 70th General Conference.
The project, approved in June under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope framework, marks the OPEC Fund’s first partnership with the agency under the initiative. It is intended to expand access to cancer diagnosis and treatment in a country where public radiotherapy capacity is limited.
“The message is simple, science can provide the tools, but partnerships and investment help bring those tools to the people who need them,” Alkhalifa said.
The partnership forms part of the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, which seeks to help countries expand access to cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly in settings where healthcare infrastructure and specialised services remain limited.
The OPEC Fund said the DRC project builds on its previous work supporting cancer care in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia. Alkhalifa said the initiative in the DRC would be the first in a series of planned projects targeting cancer care in low- and middle-income countries.
The expansion highlights the financing gap facing cancer treatment in developing economies, where patients can face limited access to radiotherapy, diagnostic equipment and specialised healthcare services.
For the OPEC Fund, the programme is intended to combine development financing with scientific and technical support to expand healthcare infrastructure and improve access to treatment.
The organisation said the broader objective extends beyond financing and medical facilities to improving access to life-saving care for patients and their families.
The DRC project also deepens cooperation between development-finance institutions and the IAEA as governments seek to expand the use of nuclear technology for peaceful medical applications, including cancer diagnosis and treatment.
