The Deputy Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Kweku Aning, on Tuesday said cancer was responsible for about 4.8million deaths annually.
He said the belief that HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis were the top killer diseases in developing countries was erroneous.
Aning spoke when he visited Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sambo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Umar Sani, in a statement further quoted the IAEA boss as saying that the situation was worrisome because cancer was complicated and expensive to diagnose.
He said put the number of those dying of the remaining killer diseases annually as HIV/AIDS-2.1million; malaria-700,000 and tuberculosis-900,000.
He said his organisation was collaborating with the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission to improve on health facility in the country.
Other areas where IAEA is collaborating with NAEC, according to Aning, are food and agriculture.
He said they were looking at technology that could develop species that were resistant to certain pests and the use of radiation to extend or preserve the lifespan of food products.
On nuclear power, he noted that Nigeria had energy deficit which needed to be filled and that they were working with NAEC to provide the enabling environment for ensuring protection and emergencies.
He added that they were working together on technology that could determine the magnitude of water resources on the ground whether it is fossil or replenished water.
Sambo told the delegation that Nigeria has ventured into developing nuclear science in the country for rapid socio-economic development
He said the importance of the nuclear energy could not be overemphasised as Nigeria was developing her nuclear science.
He said that with a vast population, there was the need to develop the country’s nuclear science to optimal utilisation for growth and development in all sectors of the economy.
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