(ANSA) - BELGRADE - The ministries of health of Serbia and Italy
have signed an agreement on celiac disease in Belgrade today,
aiming to strengthen co-operation between healthcare
institutions and specialists in the two countries, both at
diagnostic and prevention level.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Giuseppe Ruocco,
Director General for Food Hygiene and Food Safety and Nutrition
at the Health Ministry, and Meho Mahmutovic, Meho Mahmutovic,
State secretaryat Serbia's Ministry of Health, in the presence
of the Italian Ambassador to Serbia Giuseppe Manzo.
Ruocco underlined the high level of specialization in Italy in
the field of celiac disease, where 200,000 patients were
diagnosed with this disease , compared to an estimated real
number of at least 600,000.
The incidence is growing, he said, even thanks to higher
awareness and increase in the number of people who undergo
tests. Mahmutovic thanked Italy for its constant support and
assistance to Serbia in the field of health, in several specific
areas under the framework agreement between the two ministries
signed in 2011.
Ambassador Manzo underlined that ''this agreement is something
on which the Italian government and associations have worked
together and well. It strengthens cooperation between Italy and
Serbia in the research sector, increases the ability to diagnose
and improve the quality of life for patients affected by celiac
disease'', said Manzo. According to experts in Europe 1% of
citizens are affected by celiac disease, which can appear at any
age. All patients who are diagnosed with celiac disease, follow
a particular diet, gluten-free, and are subject to lifelong
medical check-ups.
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