AGP Executive Report

Medicine Supply: Serbia’s pharmaceutical exports rose 39% in 2025 to €925 million, but imports reached about €2.6 billion, leaving a €1.7 billion deficit. Domestic production remains reliant on imported ingredients and medicines. Pregnancy Costs: Many tests and supplements remain out of pocket despite state coverage for routine care; prenatal screening can cost €350–€1,200. Prevention and Staffing: Seasonal flu vaccination has started, and employment contracts have been offered to 100 top medical graduates and 380 technicians. Healthcare Funding: Vučić has pledged €2 billion in healthcare investment, while a previous promise to fund prescription medicines was reported unfulfilled.

Pregnancy Costs: Vučić pledged free prenatal tests, but the promise is not yet policy: the Republic Health Insurance Fund must add them to covered services. Tests cost €350–€1,200, while many other pregnancy expenses also fall to families. Health Workforce: Employment contracts have been offered to 100 top medical graduates and 380 medical technicians. Prevention: Seasonal flu vaccination has started, as West Nile virus circulates in Serbia. Healthcare Funding: Vučić has promised €2 billion in healthcare investment; a separate pledge to fund prescription drugs remains unfulfilled, according to reports.

Infectious Diseases: West Nile virus is circulating in Serbia, while seasonal flu vaccination has begun. Health Workforce: Employment contracts have been offered to 100 top medical graduates and 380 medical technicians, a move to bring new staff into the health system. Medical Innovation: A team linked to the University of Niš and Zhejiang University won an award for a low-cost wearable sensor that monitors heart activity and sweat glucose. Healthcare Funding: Vučić pledged €2 billion for healthcare investment; a separate report says promised funds for prescription drugs have yet to materialize. Transgender Health: Belgrade Pride condemned campaign messaging that portrayed gender-affirming care as a threat, warning it spreads misinformation about transgender people.

Flu and West Nile: Serbia’s seasonal flu vaccination campaign is underway, with 315,000 doses planned; doctors urge people at higher risk to get vaccinated. The country has also recorded 59 West Nile virus cases, including 23 in Belgrade. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, and most infections cause no symptoms. Transgender Health: Belgrade Pride condemned election campaign claims portraying gender-affirming care as a threat to children, warning that misleading messages can fuel stigma and misinformation. Healthcare Workforce: Serbia has offered jobs to 100 top medical graduates and 380 nursing and technical school graduates, with funded specialist training and doctoral studies also available. Health Innovation: A team linked to the University of Niš and Zhejiang University won a Belgrade innovation competition with a low-cost wearable sensor that tracks heart activity and sweat glucose.

Transgender Health: Belgrade Pride condemned an SNS campaign video for spreading fear and misleading claims about gender-affirming care, warning that it fuels intolerance toward the LGBTI+ community. West Nile: Serbia has recorded 59 infections, including 23 in Belgrade, as mosquito season continues; most infections cause no symptoms, health authorities say. Flu Vaccination: Seasonal shots are now available free in Serbia, with 315,000 doses planned. Doctors recommend annual vaccination, especially for people at higher risk of severe illness. Healthcare Workforce: Serbia has offered jobs to 100 top medical graduates and 380 nurses and technicians, with funded specialist training and doctoral studies also available. Health Innovation: A team linked to the University of Niš and Zhejiang University won a Belgrade competition with a low-cost wearable sensor that monitors heart activity and sweat glucose.

Seasonal Flu: Vaccination has started across Serbia, with 315,000 doses planned. The vaccines are free, and doctors urge people at higher risk of severe illness to get a shot. West Nile: Serbia has recorded 59 cases this season, including 23 in Belgrade, according to the latest figures cited by the national public health institute. Most infections cause no symptoms, but fewer than 1% develop serious neurological illness. Healthcare Workforce: Employment contracts went to 100 top medical graduates and 380 nurses and technicians, with funded specialist training and doctoral studies also offered. Health Innovation: A team linked to the University of Niš and Zhejiang University won a Belgrade competition with a low-cost wearable sensor that monitors heart activity and sweat glucose.

Flu Vaccination: Serbia’s seasonal flu campaign has started, with 315,000 free doses planned. Health officials urge people at higher risk of complications to get vaccinated; children over six months and pregnant women can receive the Vaxigrip vaccine. West Nile Update: Serbia has recorded 59 cases this season, including 23 in Belgrade. The mosquito-borne infection usually causes no symptoms, but fewer than 1% of infections lead to serious nervous-system illness. Health Workforce: Employment contracts went to 100 top medical graduates and 380 nurses and technicians, with funded specialist training and doctoral studies also offered. Research Innovation: A team linked to the University of Niš won a gold award in Belgrade for a low-cost wearable sensor designed to monitor heart activity and sweat glucose.

Healthcare Workforce: Serbia has issued employment contracts to 100 top medical graduates and 380 nursing and technical graduates, with funded specialisations and doctoral studies also offered. Flu Prevention: Seasonal vaccination has started, with 315,000 doses planned; the two available vaccines are free, and doctors urge people at higher risk of complications to get vaccinated. West Nile: Serbia has recorded 59 cases this season, including 23 in Belgrade, according to the latest figures from the public health institute. Across the EU and European Economic Area, 1,715 infections and 130 deaths had been reported by October 7. Healthcare Investment: Aleksandar Vučić said Serbia plans to invest €2 billion in healthcare.

Healthcare Workforce: Serbia has offered jobs at health institutions nationwide to 100 top medical graduates and 380 leading nursing and medical technicians. The programme has run since 2018. Health Investment: Vučić says Serbia will invest €2 billion in healthcare, a campaign pledge ahead of the October 25 election. Smoking Cessation: A new EU-funded initiative will pilot tobacco-cessation services in Serbia and three other countries, aiming to build support into routine care across 34 facilities and track about 1,700 patients.

Healthcare Workforce: Serbia has offered jobs to 100 top medical graduates and 380 high-performing nurses and technicians, placing them in healthcare institutions nationwide. Funding Pledge: Aleksandar Vučić says Serbia plans to invest €2 billion in healthcare, though the announcement gave few details on how the money would be spent. Tobacco Cessation: An EU-funded initiative will pilot support to help people quit smoking in Serbia and three other countries, aiming to embed cessation services in routine care across 34 health facilities.

Medicine Supply: Belgrade’s Beograd pharmacies are again short of prescription drugs after promised state funding failed to arrive. The union says the last drug purchase was in September 2025, leaving some patients unable to fill prescriptions and staff facing renewed wage arrears. Tobacco Cessation: A new EU-funded initiative will pilot routine quitting support in Serbia and three other countries, tracking about 1,700 patients across 34 health facilities. The five-year ACTS project aims to close gaps in access to cessation care. Health Update: Branimir Nestorović has left hospital and is reported to be in stable condition; his movement says he will recover at home.

Smoking Cessation: A new EU-funded project will test how to build tobacco-quit support into routine care, including at Serbian clinics. The five-year, €4.7 million pilot will cover 34 facilities across Serbia, Armenia, Georgia and Albania, tracking about 1,700 patients. Medicine Access: Belgrade’s public pharmacies still lack promised state funding for prescription-drug purchases, leaving shelves short and staff facing renewed wage arrears. The union says the last drug order was placed in September 2025. Vascular Care: Gore won expanded US approval for a stent graft used in complex aortic aneurysm repairs. At a recent vascular surgery meeting in Belgrade, registry results showed strong three-year vessel patency in patients treated with the device.

Medicine Access: Belgrade’s Beograd pharmacy network still lacks funds promised for prescription-drug purchases, leaving shelves depleted. Its union says the last bulk purchase was in September last year, and customers often cannot fill a full prescription. Food Safety: Belgium has reported cadmium in raspberries from Serbia, raising concerns about contaminated produce.

Pharmacy Shortages: Belgrade’s state-run pharmacies still lack promised government funding for prescription medicines. Stocks are dwindling, and staff are again owed wages; the union says the last drug purchase was made in September 2025. Food Safety: Belgium flagged cadmium in frozen raspberries from Serbia, but disclosed neither the producer nor the measured level and rated the alert as requiring attention, not posing a serious health risk. Switzerland previously found cadmium above its limit in Serbian raspberries and withdrew the product. Plague Concerns: WHO says the cause of a worker’s death at a Russian disease laboratory remains unknown. Russian officials report more than 5,500 tests found no dangerous pathogens, and no second case has been confirmed.

Food Safety: Belgium flagged frozen raspberries from Serbia for cadmium, rating the alert as requiring attention but posing no serious health risk. Switzerland recently measured levels above its limit in a similar product and withdrew it from sale. Plague Watch: WHO says the cause of a worker’s death at a Russian disease lab remains unconfirmed. Russian officials report more than 5,500 tests found no dangerous pathogens; there is no confirmed second case. Animal Health: Serbia has recorded 695 African swine fever outbreaks in domestic pigs this year, the highest total among European countries in the latest European Commission figures. Heart Health: An interview with a Serbian cardiologist reports that nearly 2.7 million people in the country have high blood pressure, highlighting concerns about diagnosis, treatment and the health system’s ability to prevent complications.

Food Safety: Belgium flagged frozen raspberries from Serbia for cadmium, but rated the alert as requiring attention rather than indicating a serious health risk; no concentration or producer was disclosed. A separate Swiss alert in September measured levels above the permitted limit, and the product was withdrawn. Infectious Disease: WHO says the cause of a Russian plague-lab worker’s death remains unconfirmed. Russian officials report more than 5,500 tests found no dangerous pathogens, and WHO assesses the risk of an epidemic as low. A Serbian expert has described pneumonic plague symptoms and transmission, but the reported case has not been confirmed. Heart Health: An article citing Serbian cardiologist Aleksandar Nešković estimates that about 2.7 million people in Serbia have high blood pressure, highlighting a major ongoing health burden.