With the start of November, the Government of Kosovo has concluded its Pink October campaign, a month dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer.

At the Beyond Pink October roundtable, Prime Minister Albin Kurti expressed hope that Kosovo society would make progress in raising awareness about the importance of health checkups.

He said health institutions had worked towards this goal, and that services such as mammography and breast reconstruction are now offered free of charge.

“Beyond the awareness-raising message of Beyond Pink October, we jointly aim to promote a culture of continuous care for public health and everyone’s well-being, as well as to encourage one another not to postpone medical checkups. Our task is to shorten the distance between concern and examination, between diagnosis and treatment, and between a woman seeking help and the institution responding to her. This work begins with raising awareness through campaigns organized by the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Public Health, as well as through the work of organizations and public and private enterprises. In this regard, mammograms are now available free of charge throughout the year. During October, a mobile mammography unit travels to cities across Kosovo to bring this service closer to women. Conditions have also improved for patients requiring treatment at the Oncology Clinic, where state-of-the-art equipment has been installed. Breast reconstruction is also provided free of charge and without waiting lists,” Kurti said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Arben Vitia said that more than 50 percent of breast cancer cases had been diagnosed at early stages, adding that this figure is expected and intended to increase further.

Vitia thanked the media for covering the activities and helping “ensure that these messages reach every household” in Kosovo.

He described cooperation in the fight against breast cancer as “vital”, mentioning local-level representatives Bujar Gashi, Director of the Health and Social Welfare Directorate in Pristina, and Albana Gashi, Director of the Health and Social Welfare Directorate in Fushe Kosove, as well as the Jeta Vita Association, led by Nafije Latifi, and all other stakeholders who contributed to the campaign.

During October, Kosovo Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu also called for greater attention to women’s health and regular medical checkups to ensure the early detection of breast cancer.