The Pilot Project on Cervical Cancer Screening is launched in the Municipality of Prizren

19.06.2018

19 June,2018, Prizren

Today was launched the pilot project on Cervical Cancer Screening in the Municipality of Prizren, a program that is being made possible as a result of the success of the pilot program in Prishtina.  Today’s event presented the pilot project on cervical cancer screening in Prizren, which is part of the national program for cancer control. This program is the next step towards expanding the screening program at the nation level.

During 2018 -the first phase of implementation, about 400 women from Prizren Municipality will be screened. Also, screening capacities will be built within the Primary Health Care (PHC) in Prizren as a procedural algorithm that regulates a better co-operation system between PHC and Secondary Health Care – Pathology Laboratory.

Apart from this new primary care service, the parties also intend to initiate discussions between institutions and stakeholders in order to draft and implement health policies that build a qualitative screening system for cervical cancer as a health right foreseen by the Law on Reproductive Health and planned in the National Program for Cancer Control.

This program, through Pap tests for women and girls from the Municipality of Prizren will help the early detection of abnormal cervical cells and their treatment to prevent cervical cancer.

Dr. Visare Mujko Nimani showed the success of this program in Prishtina and that the possibility of free Pap tests will be able also for the women and girls of the Municipality of Prizren. She also thanked the National Board for Cancer Control at the Ministry of Health for the continued support in expanding the screening program.

During the meeting Mr. Mytaher Haskuka, Mayor of Prizren said “We are happy that we are launching this project in Prizren and this project will have the full support of the Municipality of Prizren”

“We are happy to start building a qualitative screening system for cervical cancer starting with the Municipality of Prishtina and now also in the Municipality of Prizren. We as an organization are committed to providing our help to save the lives of mothers and we will continue to work on the successful implementation of this program in Kosovo, “said Dafina Krasniqi, Program Coordinator, Action for Mothers and Children.

This pilot project is a result of the cooperation between the Department for Health and Social Welfare in Municipality of Prizren, National Board for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health, Main Family Medicine Center in Prizren, Institute of Pathology at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, and is supported by the United Nations Population Fund-UNFPA Action for Mothers and Children.