Foundation for Development of Ukraine launched a new campaign titled Cancer Can Be Cured.

STUDIO: Cancer can be cured – this is the title of the project launched by the Foundation for Development of Ukraine. It includes acquisition of $40m equipment which Ukraine has never seen before. Doctors believe the facilities will improve diagnostics and treatment of cancer as soon as within the next 1.5 year.

REPORT BY OLEG TERSTYANOY. "Cancer can be cured" – the name of a project but sounds like a dream. To make it real, the Foundation for Development of Ukraine, whose president is Rinat Akhmetov, has provided $40m including $20m to buy equipment for cancer centers in Donbass, and $10m each for Kiev and western Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE: Rinat Akhmetov, President of Foundation for Development of Ukraine: "Regrettably, we have a lot of systematic problems in our country. To solve them, we must not simply speak, we must shout "Guys, let's consolidate". There are problems and obstacles, and we can overcome them. Our goal is to invest money in early diagnostics. And thus, we will save many people".

REPORT: A positron emission tomography will be bought for the capital and Donetsk. Ukraine has not seen such equipment before. Just like "Bernish" that can kill a malignant tumor of up to 2.5cm without any operation. Galichina region will receive a magnetic and resonance tomograph as well as a linear accelerator. According to experts, the facilities will improve diagnostics and treatment of the disease. So far, Ukrainians with cancer have been dying 2.5 times faster than in Europe or America. Almost 1m people with cancer live in Ukraine and 90,000 die of malignant tumor.

SOUNDBITE: Igor Shchepotin, Director of Ukraine's National Institute of Cancer: "The investment you provide for oncology is one of the most successful in your life. Because it will be generously repaid with the most valuable thing we have – health of Ukrainians".

REPORT: "Forty million is not the final figure. The expensive facilities will be maintained. This means several million hryvnias to be paid by the Foundation for Development of Ukraine", said Rinat Akhmetov. He is also ready to fund training of Ukrainian doctors abroad. At the same time, $40m is almost the amount allocated by the national budget on annual cancer fighting program. Yet Ukraine could provide only $6m in 2008 to buy new equipment of cancer hospitals in Ukraine.

ICTV Channel
Fakty Program
10 July, 2008 19:03-19:05:48