A young woman was the first nationwide to take the HPV-DNA test for the prevention of cervical cancer, in a public health structure in Thessaloniki, within the framework of the PREVENT program.

It is about 32-year-old Sofia, who arrived shortly after 12 noon at the Axios Gate Health Center, where she had made an appointment to take the test. Three others came after Sofia to take the same test.

“I received the message from the Doxiadis program 20 days ago.

I immediately contacted Pylis Axios Health Center because I see many doctors over here. I was informed by the midwives, they said they hadn’t started yet and once they did they would call me and this morning at 9:00 they called me and said they got the codes and asked me if I could come and I did .

I am very happy about it, for the prevention even more. It should be done because it saves lives. I have had a PAP test. I would go for a PAP test, for this particular one I wouldn’t go, I wouldn’t care if I didn’t get the message,” said the 32-year-old, speaking to reporters.

Present at the Axios Gate Health Center were the commander of the 3rd Ministry of Health, Dimitris Tsalikakis and its deputy commander, Michael Kupkas.

“Today we are pleased as the Ministry of Health to perform the first HPV test on a girl here, at the Axios Gate Health Center. It is a preventive check, it is one of the axes of preventive control that are “running” at the moment by the Ministry of Health“, said Mr. Tsalikakis and added that “prevention is not just about having fewer people in hospitals.

Prevention is to mitigate some inequality in society so that all citizens know what they have much, much earlier. As you can see it is a completely different treatment if you catch something at an early stage than if we find it as a random find sometime later».

At the same time, he noted that within the framework of this specific program, referrals have been made for approximately 2,619,000 women throughout the country. He also mentioned that 90% of the Health Centers of the 3rd Ministry of Health have joined the program, they have made their posts about where and how the referrals will be carried out.

“When women receive referrals, they can call or walk in and make appointments. Today, here, at the Axios Gate Health Center, one girl and three other ladies have already taken the test, for whom the appointments were booked, they are waiting and starting at all the Health Centers, while the remaining few who are left will enter as well and they will upload their appointments to the website“, added Mr. Tsalikakis, noting that the cost of the PROLAMPANO program is covered by the Recovery Fund.

“As the 3rd Ministry of Health, we are proud to “run” the Program and come forward. We are committed to all subsequent actions concerning the citizens of the country. After all, the colon cancer program “runs” at the same time, a program that concerns approximately 3 million Greek citizens, men and women, from 50 to 69 years old“, Mr. Kupkas said, for his part.

National program PROLAMVANO

The Ministry of Health has set itself the goal of eliminating cases of cervical cancer caused by the HPV virus. For this reason, HPV vaccination coverage has already been extended to girls and boys aged 15-18 and is reimbursed by EOPYY.

The vast majority of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV (human papillomavirus).

With the free preventive tests, both possible pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions, as well as subtypes of the HPV virus, are detected in time before they even lead to lesions. Thus, more effective prevention is achieved.

The free examination program is aimed at all women, from 21 to 65 years old, who have not been diagnosed with cervical cancer, have AMKA, whether they are insured or uninsured. According to the European guidelines applicable to the population screening of asymptomatic women for the prevention of cervical cancer and the scientific protocol recommended by the Committee of Public Health Experts, beneficiaries of the program are:

Women who belong to the age group from 21 to 29 years and have not had a PAP-test or HPV-DNA test during the previous three calendar years, who are entitled to:

To undergo a gynecological examination and a PAP-test and if specific findings arise from this, to visit a gynecologist for a colposcopy and biopsy.

Women who belong to the age group from 30 to 65 years and have not had an HPV-DNA test during the previous five calendar years and a PAP test during the previous three calendar years, who are entitled to:

To undergo a gynecological examination and HPV-DNA test and if specific findings arise from this, to visit a gynecologist for colposcopy and biopsy.