Greece sends texts for free cancer screenings to millions

The Greek Ministry of Health will begin sending text messages next month to six million citizens, inviting them to participate in free preventative health screenings.

The program, called “Prolambano” (Prevent), offers free checkups for diseases including breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. This phase of the program will use national funds after an initial phase was funded by the Recovery Fund, during which 6.9 million citizens received screenings.

Approximately 300,000 people who participated in the first phase of “Prolambano” received early diagnoses, allowing them to begin treatment. The “Fofi Gennimata” program, which began in June 2022, completed over 1.27 million digital mammograms, and early detection through the program led to treatment for 78,516 women. Additionally, 1.3 million people were screened for cervical cancer and over one million for colorectal cancer.

The program for cardiovascular checkups saw the highest demand, with 3,247,978 screenings completed and over 76,000 people referred for further examination. While a program offering treatment for obesity is part of the broader initiative, 43,500 people who began weight loss treatment through the program have been without continued care since late June, as the necessary ministerial decision to continue funding has not been signed.

The Ministry of Health also plans to launch free screenings for skin and prostate cancer in the future.