Press Releases
Signing of a Letter of Intent on Cooperation in Medicine (Radiotherapy) with the Republic of Honduras and the International Atomic Energy Agency
September 25, 2024
On September 24, New York Time, the signing procedure of a letter of intent on trilateral cooperation in medicine (radiotherapy) in the Republic of Honduras by Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, H.E. Mr. Eduardo Enrique Reina García, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Honduras, and H.E. Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was completed.
- When DG Grossi visited Japan and held a meeting with Minister Kamikawa this March, he praised the “Diplomatic Initiative toward Latin America and the Caribbean” announced by Minister Kamikawa this February and expressed his appreciation for Japan’s support for the IAEA’s efforts to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The two sides then concurred on bolstering their cooperation in this area under the diplomatic initiative. Following up on the meeting, the letter of intent expresses the intention of Japan, Honduras, and the IAEA to advance concrete cooperation in medicine (e.g., radiotherapy) in Honduras in accordance with the initiative.
- In Honduras, it is difficult to receive appropriate medical services due to a shortage of medical equipment and infrastructure in public medical institutions, which are used by the majority of the population, including the impoverished. In particular, the country has a high cancer mortality rate. In her own initiative, H.E. Ms. Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, President of the Republic of Honduras, has identified the installation of radiotherapy equipment and the training of specialists as one of the urgent issues of the country. Through cooperation under this letter of intent, Japan and the IAEA are expected to contribute to the expansion of radiotherapy in Honduras.
(Reference1) Basic Data on Republic of Honduras
The country covers approximately 112,490 square kilometers (about one-third of Japan). A population of approximately 10.43 million people and a gross national income (GNI) per capita is US$2,750 (2022, World Bank).