BBCI in Action

Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania: Medical Diplomacy Crosses Borders, May 19-27, 2008

Dr. Bodai describes the U.S. Breast Cancer Stamp to a group of women from Mitrovica. Valdete Idrizi, EUR winner of the nternational Women of Courage Award, sits immediately to the left, and PAO Karyn Posner-Mullen sits on his other side. About 24 women of all professions and ethnicities were invited: Serb, Albanian, Turkish, Ashkali and Roma.  Photo by: Merita Musmurati, U.S. Embassy Pristina.

Strategic Speaker, Dr. Balazs “Ernie” Bodai, breast cancer surgeon and creator of the fund-raising U.S. Breast Cancer Research Stamp, spent May 19-27 in Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania, as part of Embassy Pristina’s “Balkans Breast Cancer Initiative” (BBCI). Organized as a broad partnership encompassing the Embassy, USAID, the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Public Health, the Telemedicine Center, medical experts and the sole breast cancer NGO in Kosovo, the BBCI’s goal is to raise breast cancer awareness, reduce cultural taboos on the subject and reach out to women of all ethnicities and religions in the region, emphasizing that cancer knows no borders. Embassies Skopje and Tirana enthusiastically welcomed Dr. Bodai, where he received an overwhelmingly positive reception and a great deal of media coverage. A DVC with Embassies Podgorica and Zagreb (while in Skopje) expanded his reach.

Dr. Bodai describes the breast cancer stamp to an audience of medical experts and patients in Pristina, Prizren and Skenderaj utilizing the technology of the Telemedicine Center (inaugurated by ECA in September 2007).  Photo by: Merita Musmurati, U.S. Embassy, Pristina.

In Kosovo, Dr. Bodai had an equally intensive slate of meetings and media encounters, in which he discussed breast cancer in the region and the issuing of a fund-raising breast cancer stamp in Kosovo.  The Director of the Postal Service confirmed that Kosovo will issue the Stamp on October 18, 2008, to coincide with the first-ever Breast Cancer Awareness Walk. Media interest was very high, and Dr. Bodai appeared on a weekly TV health show, had full-page stories with photos in two papers, was covered on both the Albanian and Serbian language wire services, and was highlighted on the evening news two nights in a row. On his final afternoon in Pristina, Dr. Bodai gave lectures to two audiences of patients, survivors and medical experts. Utilizing a partially ECA-funded facility, the Telemedicine Center, Dr. Bodai’s lectures were viewed simultaneously in two other cities in Kosovo, allowing women from more rural areas to participate in the Qs and As.

Mitrovica Mayor, Bajram Rexhepi, greets Dr. Bodai and Valdete Idrizi before the presentation.  Photo by: Merita Musmurati, U.S. Embassy, Pristina.

Dr. Bodai also visited Mitrovica as a guest of Valdete Idrizi and her “Community Building Mitrovica” NGO. Valdete is the EUR winner of the Secretary’s International Women of Courage Award, and invited Serb, Albanian, Turkish, Ashkali and Roma women to attend Dr. Bodai’s roundtable on breast cancer, which counted 24 women of mixed ethnicity. Valdete concurred that she will add this issue to her programming agenda. One of the women, wheelchair bound, and a member of the NGO “Handicapped in Kosova” vowed to attend the Walk in October and race faster than anyone in the room!