Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Katherine attended today a meeting organized on the First National Day against breast cancer at the Parliament of Serbia.
H.E. Prof. Dr. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, Minister of Health of Republic of Serbia addressed the gathering and emphasized importance of prevention and treatment of breast cancer in our country. This meeting was organized by the B92 Fund, Avon Company and National Association of people treated for cancer (NALOR), under auspices of Ministry of Health of Serbia, and it gathered a large audience. H.E. Prof. Dr. Zorana Mihajlovic, Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection also attended the meeting.
Among the speakers were also Mrs. Vesna Kovljenic, representative of the Avon Company, Mrs. Maja Arsic and Mrs. Zdravka Pisaric, breast cancer survivors, Mr. Bane Simovic, husband of women who survived breast cancer, Mr. Rados Bajic, film director and activist, Dr. Djerdji Saric, president of NALOR, and Mr. Veran Matic, President of B92 Fund.
HRH Crown Princess Katherine humanitarian Foundation is very active in the field of prevention and treatment of breast cancer in Serbia. It donated the first digital mobile mammography unit to Clinical Center in Nis worth over Euros 700,000 in 2009, which has been used so far to perform mammography check-ups on more than 45,000 women in Southern Serbia. Analog mammography machine was donated to the Clinical Center Bezanijska Kosa in 2007, donation of Radiology Mammography International organisation from Akron, Ohio. Founder of this organization, Prof. Richard Hirsh, M.D., F.A.C.R, and his team conducted a professional training during their visit to Serbia. Another analog mammography machine was donated to the Health Center of Cuprija in 2009. An ultrasound machine with biopsy has was donated to the Institute for Oncology and Radiology in Belgrade in January 2012, and another one will be delivered to Clinical Center in Nis in May 2013.
In cooperation with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer center in New York, and under auspices of Ministry of health of Serbia, three medical conferences on breast cancer, cervical cancer and lung cancer screening for more than 1,000 doctors in Serbia were organized in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
Thanks to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Lifeline New York Humanitarian Organization donations worth US$ 100,000, 15 medical doctors from Serbia were sent for training in New York.
Another 10 medical professionals had professional training in MD Anderson and Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. This cooperation will be continued by sending another 7 doctors to Houston this year.
In June 2009, HRH Crown Princess Katherine participated in Susan G. Komen Race for cure in Washington, DC, the biggest world event dedicated to breast cancer prevention.
Socially responsible companies Jat Airways, Mercedes Benz, Coca Cola Hellenic and Eco Yu are strategic partners of The Royal Family and the humanitarian work of HRH Crown Princess Foundation and HRH Crown Prince Alexander II Foundation for Culture and Education. Their help and work are great examples of joint efforts attributing to Serbia’s prosperity.