30/08/2025
ZAMBIA SET TO RECLAIM CANCER CARE LEADERSHIP WITH €30 MILLION INVESTMENT
29 August 2025
By: Pentagon Media
Zambia is set to re-establish itself as a regional leader in cancer treatment following a €30 million government investment to rebuild and modernize the Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
IAEA Programme Management Officer Ms. Amal Elrefaei praised Zambia’s commitment, noting progress on new radiotherapy bunkers due for completion in December 2025, with inauguration planned in early 2026.
“This demonstrates Zambia’s dedication to advancing human health and cancer management. The progress is impressive and I congratulate the country,” she said.
Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi, Permanent Secretary for Technical Services at the Ministry of Health, explained the project follows a joint “bankable document” with the IAEA, guiding decommissioning, redesign, and procurement. Siemens has been contracted under a build-operate-transfer model.
Since 2003, Zambia’s first oncologists, radiographers, medical physicists, and technicians, including Dr. Lishimpi were trained under IAEA sponsorship in South Africa, laying the foundation for CDH as a regional treatment and training hub.
“With four new linear accelerators, we are reclaiming our position as a centre of excellence for the sub-region,” Dr. Lishimpi said.
Once complete, CDH will offer advanced radiotherapy, diagnostic imaging and increased capacity, reinforcing Zambia’s leadership in cancer care. The project reflects the UPND-led government’s commitment under President Hakainde Hichilema to transformative healthcare, strengthened local expertise and world-class services.
© Pentagon Media