The Islamic Development Bank and the Republic of Djibouti have signed a US$26.10 million financing agreement to establish the country’s first National Oncology Centre, marking a significant step in strengthening specialist healthcare infrastructure.
With a total project cost of US$28.35 million, the initiative aims to expand access to cancer diagnosis and treatment, reducing reliance on overseas care and easing the financial burden on patients and families.
Strategic health infrastructure investment
The agreement was signed in Jeddah by IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser and Djibouti’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh.
Cancer represents a growing share of hospital admissions and in-hospital deaths in Djibouti. The new centre is designed to address this capacity gap by consolidating oncology services within a purpose-built facility, improving early detection, treatment continuity and patient outcomes.
Once operational, the centre is expected to provide outpatient oncology services to approximately 6,000 patients annually, with at least 60 percent women, and inpatient care to around 1,200 patients per year. The project is also forecast to reduce annual overseas cancer treatment costs by up to 50 percent.
Financing structure and capacity building
IsDB will provide US$26.10 million in financing, with the Government contributing US$2.25 million. The project also includes a US$0.40 million Reverse Linkage component, supporting peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and specialist training to build local clinical and operational capacity.
From a project management perspective, the inclusion of structured knowledge transfer is notable. Beyond physical construction and equipment procurement, the programme embeds institutional strengthening to ensure sustainable operations once the facility becomes active.
Building on previous delivery
The oncology centre follows the successful modernisation of Al-Shifa Hospital and reinforces the long-standing partnership between IsDB and Djibouti.
As non-communicable diseases place increasing pressure on health systems across developing economies, targeted capital investment combined with workforce development will be central to long-term resilience. The delivery of Djibouti’s first National Oncology Centre therefore represents both an infrastructure milestone and a step toward greater healthcare self-sufficiency.
