The results of a pilot HPV screening project in Serbia have shown that infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is present in one in eight women tested, while changes in cervical cells were recorded in a significantly smaller number of participants, further confirming the importance of early detection.
The pilot project, conducted by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut”, with the support of the Ministry of Health and UNFPA, included 10,000 women aged 30 to 65 in Belgrade and Niš. The results show that 13 per cent of the women tested were HPV-positive, while 3.7 per cent had a positive cytological (Pap smear) finding. Simultaneously positive HPV and Pap test results were recorded in 2 per cent of women.
The data indicate that HPV infection is considerably more widespread than cellular changes, which is consistent with medical knowledge that most infections resolve spontaneously, but that those which persist represent a key risk factor for the development of cervical cancer.
Assistant Minister of Health, Professor Dr Nebojša Tasić, said that prevention and screening programmes are now among the top priorities of the Ministry of Health. “The state has ensured all key conditions – qualified staff, available vaccines and organised screening programmes. However, their success largely depends on public participation and awareness of the importance of prevention,” Dr Tasić emphasised.
Risk of death increases with age
The highest number of cases is recorded among women aged 55 to 59. The risk of a fatal outcome rises after the age of 50 and is highest among women over 70. Encouragingly, over the past decade a decline in mortality of more than 12 per cent has been recorded, as a result of preventive measures, improved diagnostics and timely treatment.
Testing included the detection of 14 high-risk HPV types, including the most dangerous types 16 and 18, which are responsible for the majority of cases of this disease. It is particularly significant that both HPV-positive and cytologically positive findings were most frequently recorded in women aged 30 to 34, further highlighting the importance of timely participation in screening.
“Long-term infections with high-risk HPV types are considered responsible for around 95 per cent of all cervical cancer cases worldwide. Given that the development of the disease is slow, there is an opportunity for timely detection and treatment. At the Centre for Microbiology of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, detection of the presence and genotyping of the human papillomavirus (HPV genotyping) is performed using cervical swabs in women and urethral swabs in men. Women with a referral from their chosen doctor or a gynaecology specialist, and men with a referral from their general practitioner, can undergo this microbiological examination at the Centre for Microbiology of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia ‘Dr Milan Jovanović Batut’,” said Professor Dr Verica Jovanović, Director of the Institute.
Cervical cancer is diagnosed each year in 1,133 women, while 440 women lose their lives. The disease occurs more frequently after the age of 35.
(Dnevnik, 06.05.2026)