ZAGREB, 26 March 2022 - The Daffodil Day, traditionally observed in Croatia in March to raise awareness of breast cancer, was again marked by outdoor events in the main squares in Croatian cities on Saturday, after a two-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic when only online events were held on that occasion.

In Zagreb's "Trg bana Jelačića" and "Cvjetni" squares, citizens could get information about this malignant disease. 

Also, a mobile mammography van arrived in Zagreb's main square to offer free medical checks as part of the 26th edition of Daffodil Day.

On the occasion of this year's Daffodil Day, Health Minister Vili Beroš said that the mortality caused by breast cancer had declined by 25%, as a result of the national turnout of 60% to examinations within the National Breast Cancer Screening Programme.

Breast cancer most frequently diagnosed malignant disease among women

Breast cancer mortality has been falling in Croatia for the fifth consecutive year, the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) said recently ahead of Daffodil Day, noting that the disease was no longer the leading cause of mortality in women.

Breast cancer is now the third leading type of cancer causing death in the female population, after lung and colon cancer.

In terms of breast cancer mortality, Croatia ranks 15th in the EU, which is better than average.

In 2019, Croatia recorded 2,999 cases of breast cancer (143.2 cases per 100,000 population), and 722 women died of that disease in 2020 (34.7 deaths per 100,000 population).

Due to population ageing, it is forecast that more and more women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

ZAGREB, 22 Oct 2021 - An online seminar on stuttering, at which people who stutter, including Croatia's basketball great Dino Rađa, will speak about their experience, will be held on Friday, on the occasion of the International Stuttering Awareness Day.

This was announced by the Zagreb City Health Department, which recalls that despite decades of research, there is still no single answer as to the cause of stuttering.

However, a lot is known about factors in the field of genetics (60% of persons who stutter have another family member who stutters), neurophysiology (results of neurological research show that persons who stutter process speech and language slightly differently than persons who do not stutter), child development (children with other speech problems or speech development delays are at greater risk of stuttering), and family dynamics (high expectations and the fast pace of life) that contribute to the development of stuttering.

Stuttering most frequently begins at pre-school age, and five percent of all children go through a period of stuttering in the duration of at least six months.

Until late childhood three in four children stop stuttering, some children have spontaneous remission with timely counselling of parents and care takers (indirect speech therapy), and some children require direct speech therapy. In one percent of children stuttering remains a long-lasting problem, the City Health Department says.

Stuttering affects men three to four times more often than women, even though the ratio in children is 2:1.

Stuttering can result in emotional and social problems that extend throughout one's life.

The City Health Department therefore supports a number of activities that raise awareness, educate and inform citizens about stuttering in order to remove the stigma on that disorder and the frequent discrimination of persons who stutter.

One percent of adults, or 70 million people globally, stutter, the best prevention being early speech therapy.

This year's International Stuttering Awareness Day is marked under the slogan "Speak the change you wish to see" and in Croatia its observance is organised by the Zagreb Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Zagreb City Health Department and the Croatian Association of Speech Therapists.

The day has been observed worldwide since 1998 thanks to American Michael Sugerman, who wanted the lack of information about that communication disorder and the frequent discrimination of persons who stutter to be replaced with knowledge, acceptance and respect for human differences.

The Croatian parliament in 2009 named 22 October Stuttering Awareness Day at the proposal of the Hinko Freund association, which helps persons who stutter.

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