Two national laboratories within the Republican Clinical Hospital and the Institute of Mother and Child have been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to provide cervical screening services. In these laboratories, important cytological and histopathological analyses are performed daily, allowing for the early diagnosis of precancerous lesions of the cervix and the management of cases, thus preventing cervical cancer in women.
“The Papanicolaou test can be performed free of charge by any woman starting at the age of 25, at the family doctor. It is the only method to diagnose early changes in the cervix, contributing to the prevention of cervical cancer. The ministry, with the support of development partners, has equipped the laboratories with modern equipment, which will allow us to cover all the needs for cytological and histopathological analyses throughout the country and, thus, to reduce the number of deaths from this cause, through timely prevention and treatment,” emphasized the Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection, Silvia Radu.
The laboratory equipment worth almost 140,000 USD was purchased by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with money provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), within the “Prevention of Cervical Cancer in the Republic of Moldova” Project.
“The Swiss government is the largest bilateral donor in the health sector of the Republic of Moldova, and today we see another beautiful example of this cooperation. The equipment with which the two laboratories have been equipped will increase the quality of cervical screening services and will allow us to prevent cervical cancer in women, through early diagnosis of lesions and adequate treatment if necessary,” said Caroline Tissot, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova.
Rita Columbia, UNFPA Representative, noted in turn that in the last five years, over 1,500 women in Moldova, most of them of reproductive age, have lost their lives due to this disease.
“Cervical cancer can be easily prevented, and today we have taken a very important step towards this. The laboratory equipment will be used both to provide quality medical services, at international standards, in the cervical screening process, and to train specialists in the field. We also urge women to request these services, so that together we can stop cervical cancer,” said Rita Columbia.
The laboratory equipment worth almost 140,000 USD was purchased by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with money provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), within the “Prevention of Cervical Cancer in the Republic of Moldova” Project.
The Papanicolaou test for the prevention of cervical cancer is recommended to be performed by women aged 25-61, once every three years. The test is free at the family doctor. Every day, over 700 women in Moldova undergo the cervical screening test, which helps them prevent cervical cancer. However, a large part of women go to the doctor too late, so every three days, currently, a woman dies from this cause.
The equipment was purchased under the Project “Prevention of Cervical Cancer in the Republic of Moldova” carried out during 2017-2020 by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, UNFPA, SDC and the International Association for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer. The project aims to reduce the incidence and mortality associated with cervical cancer by improving the quality of medical services and informing/encouraging women aged 25-61 to request these services.
