Stop Cervical Cancer

First of all, I want to point out that it is my honor and pride as a medical student to be a part of such a project, a project that brings a lot of good for all the girls, women, and mothers of our country.

What is the "Stop Cervical Cancer" project? Every year in European countries, the week of January is marked as the European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Under the mentorship of prof. Ph.D. Dženita Ljuce, young future doctors, students of the Faculty of Medicine in Tuzla, but also from Sarajevo, Mostar and Zenica, and in cooperation with the umbrella associations: the Association of Medical Students in BiH BoHeMSA, and the Student Council of the Faculty of Medicine in Tuzla "MEDICUS", are planning and carrying out a series of activities in four Bosnian-Herzegovinian cities: Tuzla, Sarajevo, Mostar and Zenica, all with the aim of informing the public about the possibilities and importance of cervical cancer prevention.

As in the previous eight years, this year 2024, the goal of the humanitarian action "Stop Cervical Cancer" was to develop awareness of this disease, to reach every woman through education, regardless of her age and status. Also, this campaign tries to encourage women to have regular gynecological examinations, because cervical cancer is a PREVENTABLE disease.

My second participation in this action was through the organizing committee itself. Preparation of each activity and participation in it. We did a public campaign, handing out leaflets in the shopping center in Tuzla, then I participated in the workshop "How to do a pap test", attended a round table on the topic of cervical cancer. There was also a concert dedicated to the prevention of cervical cancer, then a play dedicated to the same problem and women who are faced with it, and a self-defense class for girls. What especially impressed me in that week was the feedback from girls, women. The sentence: "You were the cause, the trigger for me to go for a gynecological examination", or to vaccinate my child against HPV (and it is the most common cause of cancer, exactly) means a lot.

Health care is not only reflected in regular examinations and prevention, it begins in every movement. That's why you, girl, woman, mother who is reading this, please go for that examination that can save your life!

Ilma Šeper

Faculty of Medicine in Tuzla

Scholarship recipient of the Bosana Foundation  2020/2021.