Romania faces low mammography availability in EU

Romania has one of the lowest numbers of mammography machines per capita in the European Union, according to recent Eurostat data. The country reports only 1.1 mammography units per 100,000 inhabitants, placing it among the lowest-equipped member states alongside Poland, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. In contrast, Greece and Cyprus report significantly higher ratios of 7.6 and 6.9 units per 100,000 people, respectively.

Ana Măiță, president of the Mame pentru Mame Association, warned that breast cancer accounts for approximately 30% of all cancer diagnoses in women. She noted that late detection contributes to over 3,500 deaths annually in Romania, emphasizing that the disease is often treatable if caught early through organized screening programs.

Access to diagnostic equipment is also geographically imbalanced. Existing mammography machines are primarily concentrated in large cities and university centers, leaving women in rural areas with extremely limited access to essential screening services.