HAP 3 - Health for All, Albania - Phase 3

The Health for All Project (HAP) has in the period 2015 to 2023 contributed in an important way to strengthen PHC services and population access to essential services in two regions of Albania and beyond. Substantive investments in the rehabilitation of infrastructure and supply of basic equipment and furniture have been done. Continuing education of GPs and nurses/midwifes has been steadily supported and innovative mechanisms of professional development have been introduced and sustained improvement in quality of PHC services. The role of nurses in PHC service provision has been strengthened and new, innovative forms of home services for caring for chronically ill have been introduced.

Based on these results, the Ministry of Health of Health and Social Protection (MoHSP) and its affiliated institutions such as the Operator, commit to increase the scale of key innovations introduced by HAP at PHC level for ensuring more comprehensive, effective and affordable health service across the country with lower out of pocket expenditures by patients for example homebound people that need home-care assistance or chronically ill suffering from one or several chronic conditions.

Embedded into the Albanian National Health Strategy 2021–2030, the Strategy on the Development of PHC services in Albania 2020–2025 and the Swiss Cooperation program for Albania 2022-2025, the overall goal of the HAP is:

•  The Albanian population benefits from better health thanks to improved and inclusive primary health care.

Expected outcomes are:

• Outcome 1: National Health Institutions steer and manage more effectively and efficiently PHC and home care services.

• Outcome 2:  Citizens have access and use effectively primary health care and home care of better quality

The prime beneficiaries of the Project are (i) homebound people that need home-care assistance around 10,600; (ii) patients chronically ill and suffering from a NCD (estimated number of 298’647 persons) (iii) patients affected by mental health disorders (around 20’000 persons), (iv) poor and vulnerable elderly people living alone, women and children and those that are victims of domestic violence (around 26’000), (v) the general population (over 2 million persons), and (vi) PHC services providers, namely family doctors, nurses and midwifes as well as health managers ( over 3’000 health workers).

The project is gradually extending its activities from two regions so far (Diber and Fier) to six additional regions: Shkoder, Durres, Tiranë, Elbasan, Korçe and Berat thereby the focus will be to scale-up interventions to these six regions. The eight regions represent about 85% of the population of Albania. The scaling up of new services piloted by HAP will take place according to a Plan of Action elaborated by MoHSP and entail close collaboration with the Operator and its local entities the LUHC that will become the main driving force for its implementation.  Practically, HAP will support LUHCs to implement advanced nursing care to home-bound patients and elderly people through home services and application in practice of clinical guidelines and protocols. A critical mass of trainers will be trained in every LUHC through a “cascade approach” to allow the local units train all the concerned health providers and upscale home care services and protocols.  MoHSP and the Ministry of Finance have already elaborated and approved a Mid-term budgetary Program that anticipates higher financial resources for PHC, as a full-fledge scaling-up of the new services in the eight regions requires additional resources.   

The consolidation phase 2 of the Project is covering the period April 2023 to March 2027.

The HAP is administered through project facilitation unit based in Tirana (HAP Centre) under the leadership of an international team-leader ensuring the technical dialogue as well as program implementation and work to ensure the HAP receives a high level of visibility.

The budget for the 4-year implementation phase amounts to CHF 4.0 million and intends to reach the home bound chronically ill (and their family members/carers) as well as poor and vulnerable groups and patients with mental health problems (and their family members/carers) using home care and PHC services. This corresponds to approximately 419’054 beneficiaries.

Involved Regions: Europe and Central Asia
Involved Countries: Albania, Switzerland

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