Greece Extends Free Obesity Medication to 43,500 Beneficiaries

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Greece will provide up to eight doses of obesity medication to the 43,500 people already enrolled in its free treatment programme, Deputy Health Minister Irini Agapidaki announced, while confirming the return of free breast cancer screening for 2.4 million women and new cardiovascular checks from November.

Speaking to Skai radio, Agapidaki said doctors would determine individually how many doses each beneficiary needs, ranging from one to eight.

The programme paused in June, but the Public Health Experts Committee submitted its recommendation late last week, allowing the treatment scheme to resume. Agapidaki said bureaucratic procedures to transfer funding from European to national resources had caused the delay.

“The programme continues normally and is completely free,” she said.

The ministry will announce plans to admit new beneficiaries in due course, Agapidaki added, in coordination with Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis.

Free Breast Cancer Screening Returns for 2.4 Million Women

Greece is gradually sending electronic referrals to 2.4 million women aged 45 to 74 for free digital mammograms and breast ultrasounds as part of Breast Cancer Prevention Month.

Agapidaki said screening through the national Prolambano prevention programme had helped at least 6,000 women receive diagnoses at an early stage, substantially improving their chances of full recovery.

She stressed the importance of detecting abnormalities in healthy people before symptoms appear or they can feel a lump.

“No woman should ignore the message,” she said, warning that Greece has a high mortality rate among women aged 55 to 69.

Cardiovascular Screening to Expand in November

Greece expects to begin sending text-message notifications for a new round of cardiovascular screening in early November.

The programme will provide a free lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), blood test to identify inherited cardiovascular risk associated with elevated levels of this type of cholesterol. Agapidaki said Greece would be the only European Union country to offer the test free of charge.

Children may also undergo screening when results indicate high levels, while people with concerning findings may qualify for additional free examinations, including myocardial perfusion scans and stress echocardiograms.

Agapidaki said the previous screening round identified more than 1,000 people with serious coronary artery disease.

Cervical and Colorectal Cancer Screening Continues

The Prolambano programme will continue offering free cervical cancer screening through HPV DNA tests, Pap smears, colposcopy and biopsies.

The colorectal cancer screening programme also remains in place, using home self-tests followed, where necessary, by colonoscopies, biopsies and polyp removal.

Agapidaki said the first round identified 2,600 people who had gastrointestinal cancer without knowing it, allowing them to receive an earlier diagnosis.

The government’s wider prevention initiative aims to identify serious illnesses before symptoms develop and improve access to timely treatment through free screening services.

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