A project titled MELAdetect – Early Detection of Skin, Mucosal and Ocular Melanoma was selected from the priority axis Improving the quality of the public services in health and social care of the First Call for Proposals for Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro 2014-2020. The total value of the MELAdetect project is EUR 652,427.90, out of which the Programme co-finances EUR 554,563.70, which is 85%. The Project Partners within the project MELAdetect are: Institute of Public Health Zadar (Lead Partner), University of Zadar (Project Partner 2), Development Agency Zadar County ZADRA NOVA (Project Partner 3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Mostar (Project Partner 4) and PHI General Hospital “Blažo Orlandić” Bar (Project Partner 5).
A kick-off conference of Project Partners was held on Tuesday, 26 September 2017 in Mostar (BA), starting at 11 am, in the large amphitheatre of the Medical Faculty of the University of Mostar. The aim of this conference was to inform general public about the institutions that will be carrying out the implementation of this project, as well as to give some facts about the project itself, its goals, activities and expected results.
After giving statements to the media of Project Partner institution representatives, the attendees were welcomed by the moderator of the meeting, who is also a member of the project team from the Faculty of Medicine in Mostar, Mr. Marin Šunjić, who announced the Dean of their institution, Prof. Dr. Milenko Bevanda. Following the introductory speech of the Dean, the presentations of the institutions of all project partners took place, in subsequent order: Prof. Dr. Katarina Vukojević, Vice-Dean for teaching, presented the Faculty of Medicine in Mostar; Assist. Prof. Dr. Suzana Konjevoda, a member of the project team, presented the University of Zadar; Sanja Peričić, as Director of the institution, presented the Zadar County Development Agency (ZADRA NOVA); Ninela Plamenac, Assistant Project Manager from the PHI General Hospital “Blažo Orlandić” Bar, presented the institution in which she works; and Jelena Ćosić-Dukić, Project Manager, presented the Institute of Public Health from Zadar, and introduced the project itself to the attendees.
In order to inform general public about the importance and significance of the MELAdetect project, the presentations of two doctors followed. The first presentation was conducted by Prof. Dr. Dubravka Šimić, dermatovenerologist – associate at the Faculty of Medicine in Mostar, and her theme was epidemiology of melanoma and risk factors in the onset of melanoma. After that, the second presentation was performed by Assist. Prof. Dr. Zrinjka Paštar, a dermatologist from the University of Zadar, who in her presentation referred to the initial idea of the project and its development, and also spoke about the importance and significance of early diagnosis of melanoma. After that, questions and answers followed.
