Although ECG finalized all activities within the project “Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the National Screening Programme for cancer” earlier in July, there has been a new indirect addition to this project’s outputs. Last week, the government of the Republic of Serbia officially passed regulations that establish national programs for the early detection of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer, thus providing for better health care including promotion of health, reduction of cancer mortality and a slight shift towards creating a more prevention-oriented medical system in Serbia. This will not only bring the Serbian health system closer to the practice of the developed countries, but also improve the overall quality of life among general population.

These regulations are meant to provide a realistic insight into the epidemiological situation concerning cancer in Serbia, putting into perspective the following topics: cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, the goals of the National Screening Programme for cancer and legal regulations, as well as cancer screening participants.

The Serbian National Programme for the early detection of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer is consistent with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, which aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from cancer. The incidence of morbidity and mortality from cancer is largely dependent on the success of the implementation of prevention programs. This, being the first year of organized cancer screening in Serbia, the project “Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the National Screening Programme for cancer” had significant importance in this sense as  it paved the way to organized screening program for cancer, capacity building of Serbian health providers, and social mobilization of the population through public campaigns, training of health providers for high-standard delivery in screening and quality control including proper collection and processing of data.