Investing in People
CURRENT SITUATION
Standards of health system in Albania is an obstacle to acceptance of membership in the European Union. Corruption and low public investment and private sector reforms weaken and undermine public confidence. Poor coordination between health institutions has limited the efficiency of resource allocation and the system is loaded from a lack of transparency. Availability and quality of reproductive health and family planning have improved significantly over the past decade through USAID assistance, but only 15 percent of couples now use modern contraception methods. Reported levels of unwanted pregnancies remain high by European standards and modern contraception is not promoted and not widely used.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
USAID assistance focuses on primary health care reforms in Albania, addressing some of the persistent obstacles. The program provides intensive technical assistance within the country, improve cost-effective management and improve service quality and demand for primary health care in selected areas which now cover five major cities. Within primary health services, USAID assistance includes a focus on family planning and reproductive health, HIV / AIDS, the safe motherhood policies and programs under the crown of the concept of family medicine.
PROGRAM FOCUS
* Strengthen the health reforms of the Albanian Government to establish a primary health care system fully integrated to respond to basic care needs of the population and public health threats such as Avian flu and HIV / AIDS;
* Facilitate the provision of healthcare by improving clinical competencies, management, planning and budgeting as the central health authorities, as well as local;
* Raising awareness, advocacy and participation in primary health care system at the community level.
ACHIEVEMENTS
* The Government of Albania adopted the Health Information System, funded by USAID, which is currently being extended across the country;
* Establish boards continuing medical education in five districts of the country to monitor the quality of services offered at health care centers, as a first step towards accreditation of health facilities nationwide;
* Family planning services offered across Albania to the municipal level and have increased to double the demand for family planning services during the past year;
* The Government of Albania adopted the System of Information Management Logistics Contraceptive funded by USAID – which provides the necessary information to provide a continuous supply of modern contraceptives and reduce the risk for their absence;
* First Observation USAID sponsored Demographic and Health in Albania, by which I gather updated information on the characteristics of households that will be compared with international social statistics. This observation is integral in identifying the needs arising from demographic changes in Albania and will be an important tool for health care in the design and delivery of adequate resources for health policies and programe.
