As the international community pauses on World Cancer Day to remember the millions of preventable deaths caused by the disease， the head of the UN agency that contributes nuclear techniques to fight cancer said today that a huge percentage of the world’s cancer deaths occurring in developing countries can be prevented.

“The goal must be equitable access for all patients， in all countries， to the highest standards of cancer care， regardless of their country's level of development，” said Yukiya Amano， Director General of the UN Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

To mark the occasion of World Cancer Day， which is marked each year on 4 February， the IAEA’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) hosted a roundtable panel discussion with notable speakers from around the world to address some of the issues regarding comprehensive cancer control in developing countries.

IAEA also focused on the growing problem of cancer in Afghanistan.

The first and second phases of the project will focus on the population of Kabul and the area surrounding the capital， which is estimated to benefit millions of people.

The IAEA， best known for its work as a the UN nuclear watchdog， said it has been working for decades with a global network of partners such as the UN World Health Organization (WHO) to help countries establish comprehensive cancer control programmes that cover diagnosis， treatment and palliative care.

According to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO)， there are 14 million new cases of cancer and over 8 million people die from cancer every year， with 60 per cent of deaths in Africa， Asia and Central and South America.

This year， WHO held a Twitter chat with its cancer expert as part of its activities to raise awareness， and shined the spotlight to recall that tobacco is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world and the leading cause of preventable deaths.

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