Djibouti’s National Assembly Friday approved a financing agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to build the country’s first national cancer diagnosis and treatment centre.
The centre is set to provide a life-saving treatment and estimated to help approximately 50 percent of all cancer cases.
The agreement was among nine legislative texts adopted during the first plenary sitting of the second ordinary session of the year, according to local media reports.
The project has a total estimated cost of $28.35 million. The Islamic Development Bank will provide $26.10 million in financing, while the government of Djibouti will contribute the remaining $2.25 million.
The financing agreement was signed on Feb. 3 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, by IDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser and Djibouti’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, who also serves as the country’s governor to the bank.
In October, 2023, Djibouti’s Ministry of Health invited experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to conduct a comprehensive cancer assessment.
The proposed centre is designed to strengthen Djibouti’s healthcare capacity, particularly in the early detection and treatment of cancer. It will enable patients to access specialised medical services within the country rather than having to travel abroad for treatment.
According to the project’s plans, once fully operational, the centre is expected to provide outpatient cancer-related services to approximately 6,000 people annually, at least 60 percent of whom will be women. It is also expected to provide inpatient care for up to 1,200 patients each year.
MG/as/APA