In a high-level ceremony, Daud Mohamad, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, hands over the signed Agreement for disbursement of funds to HE Ambassador Jargalsaikhan Enkhsaikhan, Resident Representative of Mongolia to the IAEA.

The Agreement, which was signed between the IAEA and the National Cancer Centre of Mongolia, stipulates the disbursement of funds previously committed by the Principality of Monaco and sets out the implementation of the project to “Increase Access to Palliative Care Services for Cancer Patients in Mongolia.” This comes after the Tripartite Agreement between the IAEA, the Principality of Monaco and Mongolia was signed for the project earlier this year. (see article)

The project, funded by the Principality of Monaco through the IAEA, will contribute to better quality and improved access to palliative care services in Mongolia. At the moment, the only cancer care centre is located in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, far from the provinces where most people live. Recognizing the burden this presents to cancer patients and their families, the Government of Mongolia proposed the project to decentralize cancer care services and thus facilitate access to provincial and district palliative care units.

In his statement, Mr Mohamad highlighted the commitment of the Mongolian Government and the tremendous progress made in cancer control since Mongolia became a?PACT Model Demonstration Site (PMDS)?in 2010, in a relatively short time. The strong support and dedication of Ambassador Enkhsaikhan played a pivotal role in the initiation of cancer control activities in Mongolia, which are being implemented at a record speed. The Ambassador emphasized that the Agreement would strengthen Mongolia's commitment to implementing cancer control activities, and at the same time help convey concrete results to the donors.