IAEA chief pledges support for Ethiopia’s health and agri sectors

Addis Ababa, September 20, 2024 (FBC) – In a move aimed at strengthening cooperation and promoting peaceful nuclear science and technology development, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi pledged support for Ethiopia’s health and agriculture sectors.

The IAEA chief reaffirmed his agency’s commitment during his meeting with Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation Mr. Belete Molla on the margins of the 68th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, held from 16 to 20 September 2024 at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) in Vienna, Austria.

Note that Minister Belete travelled to the Austrian capital to participate in the IAEA General Conference 2024 which was held at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna.

In his remarks at the conference, Belete highlighted the successful collaborations between Ethiopia and the IAEA in the past and expressed his hope for Ethiopia to benefit from the agency’s major technical collaborations in the future. He also emphasized Ethiopia’s efforts to increase agricultural productivity and urged the IAEA to ensure that his country is the primary beneficiary of the initiatives announced by the agency.

Minister Belete called on the agency to strengthen its backing to Ethiopia’s efforts in promoting peaceful nuclear science and technology development, especially in health, agriculture, manufacturing, and energy development sectors.

During the sideline meeting between Mr. Grossi and Mr. Belete, Director-General Grossi assured Minister Belete that the IAEA will provide support to Ethiopia in several areas, including increasing the capacity of cancer treatment centers, expanding more centers, strengthening the tsetse fly extermination project, and offering special assistance to universities offering nuclear engineering programs.

The two officials also discussed ways to expand cooperation through the Atoms4Food initiative, with the goal of ensuring food security in Ethiopia. This initiative, unveiled by the IAEA at the conference, focuses on enhancing agricultural productivity through the application of nuclear technology. It aims to assist regions and countries worldwide in overcoming the challenge of ensuring food security by supporting research and production efforts in the agricultural sector.

Following their meeting, Director-General Grossi shared on social media platform X that cancer care is a priority for Ethiopia, and through the RaysOfHope initiative, the agency is working to enhance radiotherapy and nuclear medicine in the country.