4^th February 2019, the World Cancer Day was marked in the shopping moll Stadion. The action was realized by the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), the European Medical Students Association (EMSA), the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) Serbia and the B.cell project. The guests were the Institute of Public Health of Serbia "Dr Milan Jovanović Batut", the National Cancer Screening Office, the Centre for health promotion and the Department for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and BELhospis. The aim of this activity was to raise awareness about prevention malignant diseases, and to point out the importance of taking personal responsibility for health.

On 23^rd January 2019, a lecture for secondary school students and Red Cross of Serbia volunteers was organised at the Red Cross of Serbia as part of the marking of the XIII European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. More than 60 young people attended the lecture organised by the Institute of Public health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut”and the Red Cross of Serbia. The representatives of the Institute “Batut”, dr sc. med. Katarina Boričić and dr Bojana Milosevic talked about Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and prevention of cervical cancer, as well as the importance of screening as a secondary measure in preventing this type of cancer. The lecture was opened by Ms. Ivana Dasic Marisavljevic, secretary of the Red Cross of Belgrade.

During the whole week from 21^st January until 27^th January 2019 the PUC “Public Lighting“ Belgrade lighted up The Ada Bridge, dome at the National Assembly and The Palace Albania in turquoise lights (the colour of the ribbon which symbolizes  the fight against the cervical cancer). For the first time this year there were light symbols on the Palace Albania building simultaneously switching in the form of turquoise ribbons and words which promote the European week and cervical cancer prevention. With this gesture The PUC “Public lighting” Belgrade once again supported the European Cervical Prevention week.

On Monday, 21st January 2019 in The National Library of Serbia was marked the beginning of the XIII European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. The event was organized by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia „Dr Milan Jovanović Batut“, the National Cancer Screening Office and the Centre for health promotion with the support of the Ministry of Health. Students from International Federation of Medical Students' Associations-IFMSA joined this event. Primary health care centres (PHCC) Novi Sad and Kruševac with the best results in organized cervical cancer screening programme showed their results. The importance of preventive gynaecological check-ups (for early detection of cervical lesions) was emphasised as the aim of this activity. This year campaign’s slogan is “Screening can prevent cervical cancer”. Leaflets and short messages about early detection of human papilloma virus infection were distributed to students.

Opening of the 12th European cervical cancer prevention week was held in the shopping moll ”Stadion” in Belgrade.
Institute of public Health of Serbia  (IOPH) “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut” organized Health Promotion action with National Cancer Screening Office and Center for Health Promotion with the support of International Federation of Medical Students' Associations-IFMSA.
Experts from IOPH of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut” delivered health promotional material and supported women in realization of the importance of regular PAP smear testing.
Ministry of Health supported this activity with participation of Deputy Minister of Health, Mrs Vesna Knjeginjic.
National TV channel RTS had live broadcast dedicated to the event. Other TV channels also joined with their crows.

National Theatre in Belgrade will join with regular distribution of leaflets on every show for the week on both stages and green CC ribbons were delivered to everybody in the lobbies of the Theatre. 

Belgrade PUC “Public Lighting“, will light in green all bridges, National Assembly, and other public buildings for the week.

Representatives of the National Cancer Screening Office from Nationa IPH of Serbia,  Batut, took part in the final conference of the Programme "European progress", Meeting of health professionals as partners in the Campaign to "Find the time".   As a part of the campaign, different I/E/C activities during the month of October and November covered territory of the nine municipalities and resulted in great interest of women for a free gynecological examinations (733 women were examined during the „Day open door").  Campaign, financed by the EU, goverment of Svicerland and Republic of Serbia, as part of the program of European PROGRESS, took place in the deprived municipalities of south of Serbia: Aleksinac, Bela Palanka, Brus, Gadžin Han, Doljevac, Knjaževac, Merošina and Svrljig.

Dr. Vesna Knjeginjić, assistant minister for Public Health in the MoH, supporthing the Campaign "Find the Time",noted "by hard work of the Ministry of Health, in the creation and implementation of the program of prevention, along with all other  health care plans ensured the basis for further development. The campaign was carried out by a variety of I/E/C activities during the month of October and November 2017th, in the nine municipalities and resulted in good response of women for free gynecological examinations (733 women get looked at during the "Day open doors").

Graham Tindal, Manager of development program European PROGRESS, thanked the local partners, physicians and nurses, on participation and support in the implementation of the campaign.

"This number of visits shows that adequate public incentive and support result in  more women opting to conduct preventive examinations. That's why it is reccomended that national institutions and local governments, civil society and the media, but in also developmental programs such as the European Progress, even more intensly  work on raising awareness and creating the conditions for  better access to health care of women. Womens health is important both for them and their families, as well as for whole society ".  Nine specified municipalities received new medical equipment for gynecological surgeries worth more than 100,000 euros and organized the free gynecological check-ups for all women. For thet they recived a help from European Union and Government of Switzerland.

Dr sc Katarina Boričić, from the IPH "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut",  said "Serbia is fourth in Europe when it comes to morbidity of cervical cancer, and CC mortality is second in Europe after Romania".  She also spoke of measures of primary prevention that will stop infection with human papilloma virus (HPV). 58 countries have introduced in their national immunization programs of HPV vaccine for girls, and in some countries men and boys.

Snežana Pantić Aksentijević, Assistent for Programed healthcare in departement of Public Health of MoH, said thet the next steps of MoH are to strengthen the role of local governments, through the health education and the implementation of policies in this their respective areas. They will support education of health professionals and public, as well as Programes of health promotion and healthy lifestyles changes.  

Dr. Bojana Milošević specialist gynecology and obstetrics, coordinator for cervical cancer screening, the screeningoffice of IPH "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut",  noted that effective and efficient Population based Programes of screening for CC cancer, in combination with immunisation, and programes for primary prevention,  is an opportunity to finaly eliminate cervical cancer. " She presented the results of the First cycle of CC screening in Serbia.

Doc Dr Aleksandar Karanikolić, head of the Department of breast and endocrine surgery, KC Nis noted it was important that women routinely  do self-examination tests and visit ultrasound and mammographic units, because early diagnosis ensures better outcomes of treatment.

The Women's Center "Milica" from Vrnjacka Banja organized the marking of October as the International Month of Fighting Breast Cancer in Belgrade on 01.10.2017. at Terazije, with its well known  and traditional caravan "Give pedal cancer" by joining the bicycle event  GranFondo, organized and supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Health and the Bicycle Association of Serbia. The Institute for Public Health of Serbia has supported this action together with the association “Budimo zajedno” (“Lets be together”), “Europe Donna”, Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, and the Serbian Forum Against Breast Cancer. In 7 cities in the Republic of Serbia The caravan "Give Pedal Cancer" has posted a flag - a sign of the fight against breast cancer in 7 cities  of the Republic of Serbia.