The traditional 13th ZORA Education Day with international participation and the ZORA 20th Anniversary Gala Event were held live for the first time since the pandemic. The event took place on Friday 17 November 2023 at the Union Hotel in Ljubljana. Over 400 gynaecologists, nurses, cytopathologists, histopathologists, epidemiologists and other ZORA collaborators attended.
The participants were welcomed by Prof. Dr. Irena Oblak, Associate Director of the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Dr. Tatjana Mlakar, Director of the Health Insurance Institute, Eva Vodnik, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Aiga Rurane, Head of the WHO Office in Slovenia, and Urška Ivanuš, Associate Professor and Head of the ZORA Programme. Mag. Andraž Jakelj, Director General of the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, addressed the participants at the evening gala event, which was held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar.
At this year's ZORA Day, we presented ZORA's activities and results of the first 20 years of its operation, and presented our plans for the future. We showcased the programme's successes and future challenges in the field of gynaecology and cytopathology, as well as a modern view on IT support for providers and the National ZORA Programme Manager. The second part was devoted to the European Commission's expert guidelines on cervical cancer screening and the presentation of the main challenges in the field of cervical screening in Europe. The main challenges in the field of HPV vaccination in Europe and Slovenia were also discussed, as well as the role of nurses in the elimination of cervical cancer in Slovenia and the local activities regarding the elimination of cervical cancer.
On the same day, 17 November 2023, we also marked the third anniversary of the global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, which was marked once again in Slovenia and around the world by lighting up landmarks in teal colour.
More information about the speakers and the event is available HERE.
