Serving People, Improving Health Project: cancer screening and early detection for women in Lviv oblast

Under the Serving People, Improving Health joint project of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine with the World Bank, six interdistrict screening centers in Lviv oblast were provided with modern equipment for cancer screening and early detection in women, with the key focus on breast cancer. More than 26,000 women have undergone screenings in these centers in the past three years.

The equipment was purchased and delivered to the six interdistrict screening centers in Lviv oblast – in Drohobych, Sambir, Stryi, Chervonohrad, and Lviv – under the ‘Preventive oncology and the implementation of effective anti-tumor technologies in Lviv oblast’ subproject of the Serving People, Improving Health joint project of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine with the World Bank. Today, women can undergo free gynecologic examinations and screenings, as well as other medical diagnostic procedures, including colposcopy, mammary gland ultrasound (women aged 18-45 years), mammography (women aged 45 years and older) in all six interdistrict screening centers in Lviv oblast. All these preventive screenings and procedures are recommended for women, and are aimed at breast and cervical cancer early detection.

More than 26,000 women in Lviv oblast have undergone screenings in the past three years, including more than 104,000 mammograms and 2.27 million cytology tests performed using modern diagnostic and laboratory equipment.

In addition, an electronic medical records system was created to ensure that women undergo screening procedures systematically, and receive reminders to schedule routine follow-up screenings. In the future, this system will be integrated into the eHealth system.

Since the subproject launch in 2015, over 10 million US dollars were allocated for the purchase of modern medical equipment for cancer screening and early detection, the introduction of electronic medical records, and the organization of trainings for healthcare professionals.

The implementation of the Serving People, Improving Health Project in Lviv oblast contributes to improving the accessibility of healthcare in general, and cancer screening and early detection in particular.