The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated two state-of-the-art digital mammography machines to two of Montenegro’s largest healthcare facilities — a gift that health leaders say will save lives.
In a country with only 34 Latter-day Saints and one branch, where the Church has been established for just 15 years, this donation exemplifies the Church’s initiative to help women and children worldwide.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in this Southeast European nation, making up nearly one-third of all cancer diagnoses in women. The World Health Organization reports that breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Montenegrin women.
For years, inadequate equipment and limited access have left many Montenegrin women without reliable screening options. But on July 2, that began to change.
At a ceremony held at the Clinical Center of Montenegro in Podgorica, Montenegrin Minister of Health Vojislav Šimun formally received the equipment on behalf of the country and expressed deep gratitude to the Church for its support, according to a release from the Church’s Slovenia website.
Šimun explained that it’s “an important step towards better health for Montenegrin women.”
The two devices — one for the Clinical Center in Montenegro and another for the General Hospital in Nikšić — are valued at $485,000 and feature digital tomosynthesis, a technology to create three-dimensional scans of the breast.
“We are particularly pleased that Nikšić General Hospital is now the first health center, besides KCCG (Clinical Center of Montenegro), to have a mammography machine for tomosynthesis, a technology that enables 65% more efficient detection of invasive breast cancer compared to classic 2D mammograms,” said Šimun.
Sister Lisa Allan, one of the Church’s senior humanitarian missionaries serving in Montenegro, explained that “Nikšić is the second largest city in Montenegro, covering an area of approximately 73,000 people. However, for the past few years, mammography services have not been available because their analog equipment was not working and could not be repaired.”
Šimun emphasized the broader implications of the donation.
“With partners, healthcare professionals and the entire society, we are establishing a system in which no woman will be deprived of quality healthcare,” he said. “Today, thanks to this important contribution, we are even closer to this goal.”
At the event, Šimun presented a letter of appreciation to Elder and Sister Allan, who have worked closely with local leaders and Church representatives to facilitate the donation. The machines are expected to significantly reduce waiting times for screenings and provide higher-quality images — both key factors in successful treatment outcomes.
Davide Lotito, the Church’s regional director of Welfare and Self-Reliance Services in the Europe Central Area, reflected on the deeper purpose behind the gift.
“Today is not only important because of the delivery of mammography machines, but because of the shared commitment – between our Church and the people of Montenegro – to the health, dignity and well-being of women and families in this beautiful country,” said Lotito.
Elder Paul Picard, an Area Seventy, also offered a spiritual perspective on the donation’s significance.
“As followers of Jesus Christ, we live by His teachings. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He answered that we should ‘love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind,’” said Picard. “Then He added the second greatest commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ This love is the driving force behind our purpose and begins in our families.”
The mammography machines are just the latest in a long line of humanitarian initiatives from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world. Through clean water projects, disaster relief, medical donations, food security, refugee assistance and more, the Church seeks to follow the Savior’s example by caring for those in need.
As the machines begin operation in Podgorica and Nikšić, the Church’s contribution stands as a symbol of Christlike compassion.
In his closing remarks, Šimun urged Montenegrin women to get a free screening and to regularly monitor their health.
