The results of the Prevent “Prevent” program were reported by Minister of Health, highlighting its contribution to early diagnosis.

Speaking at the Delphi Economic Forum, Adonis Georgiadis stressed that through screening mastographs, 30,000 women with snosis at an early stage were identified, giving them the possibility of immediate treatment.

As he pointed out, the Prevention is the largest preventive medicine programme implemented in the country, noting the importance of early diagnosis in improving health outcomes.

He also made special reference to the creation of an extensive database through the Electronic Health Record, which he said could form the basis for making targeted prevention policies in the future.

Georgiades, announced the continuation of the free preventive digital mammography programme after the resources from the Recovery and Resilience Fund are exhausted.

He also added that after an assessment of available resources, it will be decided which other programmes will continue, and it is possible that genetic testing will be included.

The Health Minister also noted that the Prevent programme also had an educational character, as participation was limited in the beginning, but over time it was utilized by more and more beneficiaries.

Theodora Psaltopoulou, Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Athens, pointed out that countries in the European South are claiming funding for more preventive medicine programmes, and described Prevent’ as a “revolution” because it was implemented on a mass scale while maintaining an individualised character. He added that, in addition to funding, systematic planning was needed. He noted that many preventive medicine programmes in the EU have been evaluated and then adapted to reduce morbidity, particularly in cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

Ignatios Economidis, Professor of Cardiology, Director of Echocardiography and Preventive Cardiology Laboratory of the 2nd Cardiology Clinic of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens at Attikon Hospital, said the hospital participates in the anti-obesity programme with a high attendance and a wide range of tests. At the same time, he suggested that a “Prevent” programme be established for smoking, enoting that the hospital’s scientific team has special studies on smoking cessation and improving heart function.

Nikoletta Halioti, Financial Director Greece & BGIN (BeNeLux, Greece, Israel, Scandinavian countries) of Medtronic Hellas SA, referring to the limited funds available in all countries, she stressed that “preventive programs should be based on whether the patient lives better and has fewer readmissions, over a ten-year horizon, and not pay any reimbursement in a lump sum at the beginning. If that is not there, the compensation is discontinued.” He cited an example of this multi-year model being implemented in a cardiology centre in Finland, which did not reimburse a patient for an expensive heart valve as the health outcome was not as expected.

Philippa Michalis, Chairman of the Board and CEO of NN Hellas, noted: “If we really want a stronger European health system, we need to move from disease management to prevention and maintaining good health. In this transition, private insurance has a distinct and important role: to act as a complementary player, directing resources to prevention and early diagnosis and using technology and data responsibly. The challenge is for the public and private sectors to work not only in parallel but also in coordination, with clear roles and real value for the citizen.”

Martina Branconi, BAT’s Global Head of Regulatory Development in the UK,underlined that Greece is a pioneer in legislating restrictions on minors’ access to nicotine. However, she noted that despite restrictions on minors’ access to tobacco, there are many alternative nicotine products on the market. She said that there are products with low nicotine content, which, in her view, could be marketed under strict restrictions, instead of being banned altogether, as such a measure, in her experience, yields better results.