An all-Ireland agreement designed to prevent more forms of cancer was signed today.
Health ministers from both sides of the Border met in Belfast to pledge enhanced cancer research, care and treatment as part of their Cancer Consortium with experts in the United States.
Minister for Health Mary Harney
The governments are working with the US National Cancer Institute, a world leader in cancer care, to help patients access innovative treatment and undergo cutting edge clinical trials.
The consortium was established in 1999 enhancing infrastructure for cancer research and cancer care across Ireland. Programmes set up include those aimed at prevention and early detection of cancer.
Minister for Health Mary Harney said: "Together we have achieved real benefits for patients in developing a clinical trial network to facilitate early access to innovative therapies, a telesynergy network of communication and a professional education and training programme to improve prevention, research and treatment of cancers."
Dr John Neiderhuber, director of the NCI, said the venture was a model for international co-operation among the public health and scientific communities and praised legislation to ban smoking in both jurisdictions.
Sinn Féin health spokesperson John O'Dowd welcomed the agreement, saying the duplication and inefficiency in these two systems wastes huge amounts of taxpayers' money.