With the support of the "Lights of Hope" initiative launched by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this year to help countries fight cancer, Jamaica has opened a new nuclear medicine centre that will provide diagnostics and treatment for non-communicable diseases to save lives. The country's first such public centre, at the University Hospital of the West Indies in the capital Kingston, will help manage cancer and other diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, which are the cause of death in seven out of 10 Jamaicans.
Although Jamaica has more than 7,000 new cancer cases a year, there are only four telemedicine machines and no nuclear medicine facilities in public health facilities to date. These include prostate, lung and colorectal cancers. The country's most common types of patients can now also be diagnosed at the new centre, which will expand the country's overall capacity.
"Nuclear medicine and its support for early diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between life and death," prime Minister Andrew Hollis said at the 30 June inauguration. This facility will benefit the citizens of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, where patients will now have access to state-of-the-art care at a fraction of the cost and will be the country's only public nuclear medicine, a result of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Prime Minister Holness, who attended the inauguration of the University Hospital, also spoke of the importance of continuing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide solutions to maintain the functioning of the centre and the skills of its staff. In the future, the facility could also become a regional hub to provide support to neighbouring countries.
"Today we celebrate an important milestone in the fight against non-communicable diseases," said Liu Hua, IAEA Deputy Director General and Director of technical Cooperation. He also spoke of future cooperation under the IAEA's "light of hope." He added: "Through The Beacon of Hope, we will continue to support the expansion of Jamaica's radiology capacity in diagnosis and treatment, including by supporting the development and training of the national cancer nurse."
Under the framework of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, the Iaea provided the new centre with basic equipment such as SPECT/CT diagnostic machines, dose calibrators, radiopharma facility equipment and mirage, as well as supplies of materials and reagents required for nuclear medicine. As part of its assistance, IAEA has trained staff in the clinical applications of nuclear medicine, such as nuclear medicine technicians, radiologists, radiologists and medical physicists. Iaea experts have also advised the State on how to establish an accredited training scheme for nuclear medicine professionals.
The agency's targeted assistance to Jamaica in this area began in 2014, 12 years after the closure of the last existing public nuclear medicine facility due to lack of staff and resources. Since then, Jamaica has operated two private facilities that many people cannot afford. Nor do they have enough capacity to meet the needs of the country's nearly three million people.
The safe use of radioactive materials needed to treat and diagnose patients at the new centre will be overseen by the country's independent regulator, the Hazardous Substances Administration (HSRA). Launched in 2020, HSRA is the first fully independent and operational institution in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Through the Technical Cooperation Programme, IAEA has provided HSRA with training, equipment to perform regulatory functions and guidance on the establishment of a new database of radiation source stocks.
To ensure sustainability and facilitate the expansion of services, IAEA will continue to provide assistance to Jamaica, including PET/CT technology, radionuclide therapy and further training for medical professionals. This assistance is in line with Jamaica's national development plan, Vision 2030. The plan is based on four strategic goals for national development, one of which is "a healthy and stable population".
The IAEA has 60 years of experience in helping countries fight non-communicable diseases, including cancer. Iaea assistance has enabled many countries, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean, to establish and strengthen safe, reliable and effective radiological medicine, including radiotherapy, radiology and nuclear medicine.