As November began, the Government of Kosovo concluded its “Pink October” campaign, a month dedicated to breast cancer awareness. At a roundtable titled “Beyond Pink October,” attention focused on continuing screenings after the campaign ended.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he hoped Kosovar society would become more aware of the importance of health screenings. He said the aim was to encourage people to look after their health consistently and not put off a check-up. Institutions, he said, must reduce the time and barriers between a health concern and a check-up, between diagnosis and treatment, and between a woman seeking help and the institution responding to her.
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Kurti cited campaigns by the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Public Health, alongside the efforts of organizations and public and private enterprises. He said mammograms are available free of charge throughout the year, while in October a mobile mammography unit travels to cities across Kosovo to bring the service closer to women. He said conditions have improved for patients receiving treatment in Oncology, where state-of-the-art equipment has been installed. Breast reconstruction is also available free of charge and without a wait.
Health Minister Arben Vitia said more than 50 percent of breast cancer cases have been detected at an early stage and that the goal is to increase that share further. He said implementation of the breast cancer screening action plan has begun. Last year, 53.4 percent of women with the disease were diagnosed at stage one or two; based on information from health institutions, that figure is expected to be even higher in the year now drawing to a close.
According to Vitia, early detection is the best, least problematic and least expensive way to overcome the disease. He therefore stressed the need for every patient to have access to diagnosis and equipment throughout Kosovo. He described self-examination and seeing a doctor early as crucial to timely diagnosis.
Vitia thanked the media for covering the activities and helping the campaign’s messages reach every home in Kosovo. He called cooperation in the fight against breast cancer vital and mentioned Bujar Gashi, director of the Directorate of Health and Social Welfare in Prishtina; Albana Gashi, director of the Directorate of Health and Social Welfare in Fushë Kosovë; and the Jeta Vita Association, led by Nafije Latifi. He also mentioned all the other contributors to the campaign.
During October, the speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, also urged women to pay more attention to their health and undergo regular medical check-ups so that breast cancer can be detected early.
