Measure 1.1: Increasing Productivity and Competitiveness of Economic, Rural, Cultural and Natural Resources of the Programme Area
Project Title: PARHS – The Preventive Actions in the Reproductive Health Sector
Project Budget:
| Project Value | EU Contribution | |
| Republic of Serbia | € 161,364.17 | € 136,704.17 |
| Montenegro | € 230,800.00 | € 196,180.00 |
| TOTAL | € 392,164.17 | € 332,884.17 |
Beneficiary of funds in the Republic of Serbia: Healthe Center Raška
Partners:
• Regional Development Agency of Sandzak – SEDA
• Health Center Novi Pazar
Beneficiary of funds in Montenegro: Public Health Institution – Health Center for areas of Nikšić, Šavnik and Plužine Municipalities
Partners:
• FORS Montenegro-Foundation for the Development of Northern Montenegro
• Health Center Berane
• Ministry of Health of Montenegro
Area of implementation:
• Montenegro: Berane, Nikšić and Pljevlja Municipalities
• Serbia: Raška and Novi Pazar Municipalities
Project duration: 1/8/2012 – 31/1/2014
Project objectives: The overall objective of this project is improved reproductive health of women in cross border region between Montenegro & Serbia. The specific objective of the project is improved access to and raised awareness about available preventive examinations in 5 Health Centres for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer among women of reproductive age through conducting at least 1000 check ups in 5 target municipalities in the period of 18 months.
Activities and results of the project:
Before and after the realization of project activities, research was conducted on women’s level of awareness of the necessity and importance of preventive health examinations. The research was conducted on a sample of approximately 1,000 interviewees – women, beneficiaries of health institutions from the project area. A comparative analysis of women’s awareness level of issues relevant to the field of prevention of breast and cervical diseases before and after the implementation of the project, showed a considerable growth of the awareness level. A campaign of raising the awareness level of the necessity for conducting preventive health examinations in the project area was implemented through all available local and regional media in the cross-border area.
Within the Project, trainings were conducted for the staff of health centres on the methods of approaching the beneficiaries of health services and methods of conducting preventive health examinations. The trainings obviously improved the quality of the communication between health workers and beneficiaries of health services, thus increasing the number of women undergoing preventive health examinations.
The Project ensured vocational trainings for health workers on state-of-the-art methods of conducting preventive health examinations, with regard to diagnostics as well as the treatment of patients. As a result, the competency of medical staff to provide better services has improved, which will undoubtedly increase the positive effects of the prevention and treatment of cancerous diseases of breast and cervix, leading almost certainly to a reduction of negative consequences of these diseases in the female population of the cross-border area in the future.
A number of educational programmes were conducted on the importance and necessity of preventive health examinations for over 1,000 women of reproductive age, as well as on the methods of self-examinations, which could additionally contribute to an earlier discovery of breast and cervical diseases. Due to the language barrier, special educational programmes were implemented for the Roma population. The result of this education, in synergy with other project activities, has elicited a considerable response, and will certainly have an impact on the further increase of the number of women who undergo regular preventive examinations of breasts and cervix.
Due to the Project, health centres in the project areas are furnished with specialised equipment for conducting preventive health examinations of breasts and cervix, and health workers are trained for its use. Thus, these institutions have greatly improved their capacities to respond to the needs of beneficiaries of health services and provide them with adequate medical treatment in the field.
During the implementation of the Project, preventive health examinations of breasts and cervix have been conducted for over 8,000 women. This extraordinary result is of great importance to the improvement of the reproductive health of women in the cross-border project-covered area. It will certainly significantly contribute to the reduction of the number of women of reproductive age from the territories covered by the Project who suffer from these diseases.
STATEMENTS:
Veselin Bulatović M.D., Director of Public Health Institution – Health Center for areas of Nikšić
“The participation in the Project “PARHS – Preventive Actions in Reproductive Health Sector” has been very important to the Health Centre Nikšić. Valuable equipment was purchased, and medical doctors and medical technicians attended useful trainings relating to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer.
A particularly significant part of the project was the campaign of raising women’s awareness on the importance of preventive examinations, as well as the activity of organising preventive examinations itself, with regard to the fact that the large majority of women search the help of a doctor only when the disease is in a late stage of development.
The cross-border cooperation has led to an improvement of the communication with our colleagues from the Republic of Serbia, an exchange of experiences and best practices, which is of great significance to our work.”
Miladin Andrić M.D., Director of Healthe Center Raška
“This project has greatly improved the existing expertise and technical equipment of the departments of gynaecology in health centres in Raška and Novi Pazar. In addition to providing the state-of-the-art equipment which had been lacking, the Project contributed to the improvement of up-to-date knowledge and experiences in the field of prevention of breast cancer and cervical cancer. On the other hand, the promotional campaign conducted during the Project contributed to the increase in the number of women of reproductive age who undergo preventive examinations.”
Nada Marković, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia
“It is a true pleasure to see a project that institutions and organisations from different fields have jointly worked on, and which focuses on the prevention of breast cancer and cervical cancer. This is a great example that team work can achieve great results and help successfully realize such Projects, which are of great importance to the community at large.”
| Available multimedia resources | ||
| Material | Description | Quality |
| Project logo | only in Montenegrin (Ijekavian) | High |
| Photos | – Voluntary activities in public places
– Education for beneficiaries – Education for health workers |
High (usable for printed media and web) |
| Video clips – Jingles | MNE and SRB languages. In mpg and wmv format. Beneficiaries are recommended to upload them to their YouTube channels, so they may possibly be embedded in some on-line content | High |
