The Pilot Project on Cervical Cancer Screening is launched in the Municipality of Prishtina
06.07.2016
Prishtina, 6 July 2016-
In an official ceremony today, the pilot project on Cervical Cancer Screening in the Municipality of Prishtina is launched for the first time in Kosovo. Today’s event presented the pilot project on cervical cancer screening in Prishtina, which is part of the national program for cancer control. This project introduces the cervical cancer screening as a new service within primary care centers in Prishtina and aims to have this municipality become the success story for setting up the cervical cancer screening program nation-wide throughout other municipalities in Kosovo.
Today’s event was oppened by Dr. Izet Sadiku, the Deputy Minister of Health who guaranteed that the Ministry will support this whole project as foreseen by the strategy of the National Board for Cancer Control and promised that his institution will provide sustainable funding to disposable materials related to the project after its pilot phase.
“During the pilot phase approximately 2000 women aged 25-50 and living in Prishtina will be screened, the capacities among family doctors will be built so that screening is offered within the primary care centers, and the procedural protocols that regulate the multidisciplinary work between the primary and tertiary care levels will be established,” stated Dr. Arben Vitia, the Director for Health and Social Welfare in Municipality of Prishtina. “Setting up an efficient and qualitative cervical cancer screening program is a basic patient right, is guaranteed under the Law on Reproductive Health, and is also planned by the National Program for Cancer Control,” declared prof.dr. Suzana Manxhuka-Kerliu, dean and president of National Board for Cancer Control.
While appreciating the initators and supporters of this project, Dr. Ramadan Sopa ended his speach on behalf of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, re-emphasizing the importance of screening for cervical cancer when it is still the second most common cancer in women. “Women living in Prishtina now have the opportunity to do Pap-tests for free in the Main Family Medicine Center, Family Medicine Center number 5 and Family Medicine Center number 6. All the educational materials are already in the primary care centers around Prishtina where women can get more details on how to set appointments,” adds Mrika Aliu, Executive Director at Action for Mothers and Children.
Screening for cervical cancer helps early detection of pre-cancerous cells and is evidenced to be effective in preventing cervical cancer in many countries around the globe when done efficiently.
This pilot project is a result of the cooperation between the Department for Health and Social Welfare in Municipality of Prishtina, National Board for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health, Main Family Medicine Center in Prishtina, Institute of Pathology at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, and is supported by the United Nations Population Fund-UNFPA, the World Health Organization-WHO, 700 for Science Foundation and Action for Mothers and Children.
