Vera Melniciuc, gynaecologist at Territorial Medical Association (TMA) Botanica/Women’s Health Center ‘Dalila’, Tatiana Popova, gynaecologist at TMA Ciocana, Stela Tihon, gynecologist at TMA Rascani and Diana Valuta, Head of the Cervical Screening Coordination Unit within the Institute of Mother and Child have been recently certified internationally in the field of Colposcopy and Cervical Cancer Prevention.

During 2017-2018, 16 gynaecologists from Moldova took part in an International Training Program on Colposcopy and Cervical Cancer Prevention through theoretical training modules and on-line testing. Four doctors of them later strengthened their practical skills in colposcopy by managing 100 cases under the coordination of national trainers.

Following the Structured Objective Clinical Examination (OSCE) held in Lyon in May 2019, four gynecologists from the Republic of Moldova were certified internationally in the field of Colposcopy and Cervical Cancer Prevention.

 “This is an important achievement for the cervical cancer prevention in the Republic of Moldova. Any woman who consults a specialist in colposcopy should receive quality services based on a minimum set of knowledge and skills aligned with international standards” said Diana Valuta, Head of the Cervical Screening Coordination Unit in the Republic of Moldova.

“We hope that this good experience will be taken over by other Moldovan specialists so that the quality of colposcopy services  improves at national level”, said Uliana Tabuica, head of the National Colposcopy Reference Center, previously internationally certified in the United Kingdom (BSCCP). 

The International Training Program on Colposcopy and Cervical Cancer Prevention is being conducted within the collaborative partnership between UNFPA Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (IFCPF) and the International Cancer Research Agency (IARC) aimed to increase the quality of colposcopy and cervical cancer prevention services at regional level.

In the Republic of Moldova these activities are part of the project ‘Cervical Cancer Prevention for 2017-2020’ carried out by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the International Cervical Cancer Prevention Association (ICCPA) and other partners.