In the month dedicated to the fight against cervical cancer, we remind you that the Government reduced the budget for the Program for early detection of malignant diseases for 2023 by 2 million denars compared to 2022. In the country, about 40 women die from cervical cancer every year, while over 350 women are treated annually at the University Oncology Clinic and undergo aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments because the disease is detected at an advanced stage. It is devastating to know that all these deaths and treatment with aggressive treatments can be prevented, if the changes are detected in time, says the Society for Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women - ESE.

They point out that even at the end of January, the Program for Early Detection of Malignant Diseases has not yet been published in the RSM Official Gazette, which means that neither the planned activities nor the target age group of women who should be covered are still known. the screening.

- Due to insufficient budget funds and inadequate organization in 2021, only 22 percent of women of the target age group will be covered by cervical cancer screening, which is far from the coverage in the European Union countries, which is over 75 percent of women. In 2022, the Ministry of Health canceled sending invitations to women to have a gynecological examination with a PAP test and introduced the internet platform skrining.mk for women to register themselves for an examination with a PAP test. But the question arises whether this measure represents an improvement or a regression of the Screening Program. According to the statements from the Ministry of Health, in 2022, only 12 women were given a Pap test by way of a scheduled examination through the Internet platform, which represents only 194% of the target age group, ESE adds.

Borjan Pavloski from the Association pointed out that from the research carried out by ESE, only 24 percent of women from rural areas and 16 percent of Roma women have the opportunity to independently schedule a gynecological examination via the Internet.

- Scheduling examinations digitally is a particular obstacle for vulnerable categories of women. The research conducted by ESE in 2022 showed that only 24% of women from rural areas and 16% of Roma women have the full opportunity to independently schedule a gynecological examination via the Internet. This situation is influenced by the possibility of accessing the internet, access to a digital device, as well as the level of digital literacy, said Pavloski.

In order to reduce the detection rate of cervical cancer at an advanced stage and to reduce the mortality of women from this disease, ESE requested an immediate increase in the budget of the cervical cancer screening program, increased education activities of women, as well as predicting special activities at the community level for increased coverage of women from vulnerable groups.