Two years ago, the IAEA designated the first five Rays of Hope Anchor Centres, marking a milestone that brought renewed hope to cancer patients in their regions. Since then, the network has expanded to 12 centres across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Together, they are shaping how cancer care is delivered in underserved populations.

Each centre works closely with the IAEA to develop tailored workplans and receives targeted support. To date, the IAEA has conducted nine week-long missions at most of the Anchor Centres, sending multidisciplinary expert teams to work alongside local staff to assess needs and create joint plans to guide training, infrastructure upgrades and research priorities. These efforts strengthen each centre’s ability to serve patients locally and regionally.

Capacity building is where Anchor Centres are rapidly making an impact. Since 2023, the network has hosted dozens of regional training activities, strengthening radiation medicine skills in regions with limited access to care.

Anchor Centre specialists also travel to neighbouring countries to share expertise. For example, in October 2024, the South African Anchor Centre sent experts to Mauritius to support the transition from 2D to 3D radiotherapy, a step that is expected to improve survival rates.

By equipping professionals with new skills, Anchor Centres ensure that innovations are not confined to high-income countries.

The IAEA reinforces these training efforts. In late 2024 and early 2025, it hosted two landmark events for Anchor Centres. A “train the trainer” workshop prepared specialists to audit and teach treatment planning, and experts from all 12 centres worked together to develop a standardized training programme for gynaecologic radiotherapy and tested new tools such as virtual reality goggles provided by the IAEA to enhance learning.

While short-term training is common worldwide, long-term fellowships remain limited due to legal and regulatory restrictions, a lack of standardized curricula and inadequate training facilities. In the field of cancer care, Anchor Centres are helping to bridge this gap.

“With the IAEA’s support, we have already trained more than 100 fellows in nuclear medicine and radiology, and we are currently placing young doctors from African countries in year-long postgraduate programmes. We also host residencies, internships, and technical courses,” said Salah Eddine Bouyoucef, professor emeritus of nuclear medicine at CHU Bab El Oued, an Anchor Centre in Algeria. “These programmes are helping us build lasting expertise and improve cancer care capacity across the region.” 

Anchor Centres also shape global research. Several participate in IAEA coordinated research projects, including a project on nutrition and radiotherapy, which aims to improve patient nutrition and clinical outcomes.

The IAEA is also rolling out SUNRISE: The Sustainable United Network for Radiation Medicine Innovation and Scientific Excellence, a global database that will track key indicators in radiation medicine. By collecting real-world data from hospitals worldwide, SUNRISE aims to guide policy, improve cost-effectiveness, and ensure patients everywhere benefit from evidence-driven care.

Collaboration is central to the Anchor Centre model. The IAEA has partnered with the MD Anderson Cancer Center to deliver a year-long online course for Anchor Centres on clinical research methods, from epidemiology to clinical trial design.

Through its partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the IAEA is also working to strengthen national capacity in childhood cancer care and expand access to paediatric radiotherapy through specialist training and public goods development. Global experts, including Anchor Centre representatives, recently participated in an IAEA-St. Jude meeting to support the development of the standardized curricula.

In 2022, the IAEA signed an agreement with 11 major professional societies in radiation oncology, imaging and medical physics. More than 120 experts from these societies have volunteered their time to support Anchor Centres. 

Private industry partners are also expanding access to modern technology and expertise, providing centres with workstations, licenses, software and the necessary training to operate them effectively. 

“As the Anchor Centre network expands, its collaborative spirit may prove its greatest strength,” said May Abdel-Wahab. “By coming together across sectors and continents, Anchor Centres are turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s breakthroughs in cancer care.”