The National Breast Screening Centre was inaugurated today in Valletta after three years of preparation.

Social Policy Minister John Dalli said the purpose of the centre was "an exercise in disease prevention" to ensure that any cases of breast cancer were detected and treated early.

This, he said, was important not only for the patients, but also because it reduced costs for the health service.

He said that Malta also needed to focus more on other forms of disease prevention such as diet and exercise, to ensure that people lived longer and enjoyed a more healthy life.

The minister said this also had to be seen in the context of the sustainability of the Maltese health system. Malta, he said, had one of the best health systems, but one had to see whether the same could be afforded in 10 years' time.

The clinic is housed at Lascaris Wharf, opposite Customs House.

The breast screening programme was launched two weeks ago and 14,000 women every year will be invited to the centre. The programme has initially been targetted at women in their fifties.

Parliamentary Secretary Joe Cassar urged all women who received an invitation to be tested to take it up.

Also present for the ceremony was Parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi, who made the property available for the centre.

See also

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090929/local/breast-cancer-screening-to-start-in-mid-october