“Dear mom, please take care of yourself because I need you, because I love you, because you are my only mom”. This heartfelt plea will reach over 100,000 women across Croatia during Pink October. As part of the “Mom, be healthy!” project, children from nearly 300 schools and kindergartens will deliver personalized educational leaflets about breast cancer to their mothers. These materials were prepared by the Association of Women Diagnosed and Treated for Cancer, SVE za NJU.
The eighth edition of the campaign was launched at Zagreb’s X. High School “Ivan Supek,” where students issued a collective call for their mothers to attend preventive medical checkups. Supported by the CTA komunikacije team and moderated by our Valentina Mezdić, the conference brought together experts, numerous students, and campaign sponsors.
“We must give our all in preventing cancer. This year, we will reach more women than ever before to encourage them to take care of their health. And on this journey, we have the best allies—children. Additionally, it’s our responsibility to lead by example and teach the youngest among us how to care for themselves so they too become proactive in self-examinations and disease prevention,” said Ljiljana Vukota, Secretary-General of the SVE za NJU Association, in her opening speech.
– The SVE za NJU association has demonstrated how the education and healthcare systems can collaborate effectively. The ‘Mom, be healthy!’ project has a proven positive impact on our society, as last year’s results show. A total of 192 educational institutions from 137 cities and towns participated, distributing 64,500 personalized leaflets,” emphasized Vesna Šerepac, a representative of the Ministry of Science, Education, and Youth and Director of the Directorate for Education and Training.
In addition to urging mothers to schedule a doctor’s appointment, the educational leaflet contains information about cervical cancer, materials for fathers, and content that teaches children healthy habits in an age-appropriate manner. Since the campaign began in 2017, students have also traditionally received pink balloons, symbolizing the fight against breast cancer.
Dr. sc. Dijana Mayer, Department for Monitoring and Improving the Health of School-Aged Children and Youth at the Croatian Institute for Public Health, addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of early detection in successful treatment. Željka Frković, Principal of X. High School, expressed her pride that their school—the largest in Croatia—was chosen as the starting point for this year’s “Mom, be healthy!” project.
This year, the association has an additional goal: collecting data on health-related habits. The official campaign website includes a short survey with four questions that all women are encouraged to answer to contribute to the project’s development. More information about the “Mom, be healthy!” campaign and ways to prevent several types of cancer can be found on the website, as well as on the campaign’s Facebook and Instagram pages, where all activities are regularly updated.
