ZAGREB, 20 Jan 2022 - The public health campaign called "It's Time" was presented in Zagreb on Thursday, with the aim of encouraging the implementation of Croatia's National Cancer Strategic Framework which has been delayed for a year during which time 15,637 people died of cancer, or 20% more than the European average.

The National Cancer Strategic Framework was adopted in the parliament a year ago and the campaign was launched by associations of oncology patients who wish to bring together the most important stakeholders in the health system and stimulate them to start implementing the plan.

An estimated 170,000 people in Croatia are suffering from some type of cancer, which is the second-highest cause of death in the country.

"Every day an estimated 30 people die of cancer and each year more than 25,000 are diagnosed and that is why we are saying that it's time to get moving. We've lost one year of the national plan and more than 15,000 lost their lives and it's time for us all to be actively involved," the president of the coalition of associations in the healthcare system, Ivica Belina, told a press conference on Thursday.

Assistant Health Minister Vera Katalinić Janković said that an action plan for the fight against cancer would be put into the procedure in the next week or so, to cover the next three-year period, as a first step in implementing the plan.

"The national plan will not be just a paper tiger nor a list of good wishes and it will be implemented, however, this is a process that cannot be conducted overnight. The ministry has formed task forces and I can add that the Action Plan is finished," she said.

The plan includes new radiology equipment, setting up an oncology network and database, as well as prevention, early detection, adequate treatment, and patient rehabilitation, said Katalinić Janković.

Cancer, a major health problem in Croatia, accounts for 27% of deaths in the country. It is a leading cause of death in people under the age of 65 and is the cause of every second death among women and 35% of deaths among men.

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