A Decade of Impact: Health for All Project’s 10-Year Journey in Albania
Since 2015, the Health for All Project (HAP) has been a major support to primary healthcare reform in Albania, aiming to enhance access to and quality of primary healthcare services for all citizens, particularly for vulnerable groups. Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, the project’s decade-long impact is now captured in a dedicated brochure. This special publication traces HAP’s 10-year journey, highlighting key milestones, transformative interventions, and the measurable improvements it has brought to both healthcare providers and the communities they serve.
Among the many areas of progress documented in more detail in the brochure, the following stand out:
Strengthening Governance and Management of Primary Healthcare
HAP played a key role in the development, approval and implementation of Albania’s Primary Health Care Strategy 2020-2025, a strategic document embodying the government’s and HAP’s long-term vision for the health system’s transformation including new service models, redefined job profiles, updated protocols and guidelines for treating non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental health disorders, and elderly care, alongside essential infrastructure investments to improve primary care.
The project’s been essential also for the improvement of health care management. HAP has enhanced institutional capacity by providing training for health authorities and health centre personnel while improving operational efficiency by developing new administrative and management documents and tools. Additionally, HAP supported the establishment of a Master’s programme in Health Management, an effort to boost Albania’s healthcare management capacity and ensure the long-term continuity of reforms. At present, the project is providing crucial support for the monitoring process of healthcare services, which is key for the quality of care delivered to citizens.
Patient-Centred Care: Enhancing Accessibility and Quality of Life
With the vulnerable groups’ needs in mind (one of the project’s primary beneficiaries), HAP has introduced home care services, and by 31 March 2025 essential care was provided to over 4000 chronically ill, elderly people and other patients who are or were temporarily unable to visit health centres. This initiative has been instrumental in alleviating the burden on families and ensuring that marginalised groups receive the care they need. A Quality of Life Study (2024) revealed a steady improvement in patient-reported health and well-being outcomes. The project's approach to this service, including the reorganisation of work within the health centres, home visit planning, and specialised training for nurses, has set a new standard for home-based care in Albania that is slowly but surely gaining ground.
Enhancing Service Quality: Infrastructure, Updated Protocols, and Medical Equipment
Strategic infrastructure investments - 31 healthcare facilities reconstructed and rehabilitated, benefiting over 241,000 residents and about 400 healthcare professionals – were accompanied by further investments in service quality. This included developing updated clinical protocols for NCDs, mental health, and elderly care, providing intensive training to family doctors and nurses for the implementation of these protocols as well as supplying them with essential medical equipment, including home care sets and physical examination tools, ensuring that primary health care providers are well-equipped for daily clinical practices. Quality of Care Assessments (2015-2022) confirm consistent improvements in infrastructure, doctor-patient consultations, and patient satisfaction.
Strengthening Continuing Medical Education: Peer Groups
HAP has been instrumental in establishing and strengthening Peer Groups, empowering family doctors and nurses to exchange experiences, follow best practices, and share clinical expertise. This powerful model of continuing education has been essential for standardising healthcare practices and fostering professional development, which, in turn, has been crucial in extending health reform elements, such as the implementation of NCD protocols and guidelines, and the introduction of new home care services, among others. Over 5,000 healthcare professionals have participated in Peer Group sessions, with participation increasing significantly with every passing year.
Empowering the Professional Autonomy of Nurses
Demographic shifts have made it indispensable for the role of nurses to expand beyond traditional boundaries. In response to this need, HAP has significantly contributed to redefining a new professional profile for nurses, not merely as assistants to doctors, but as autonomous healthcare professionals capable of exercising independent judgment and leading innovative healthcare initiatives. By introducing new professional profiles for nurses (such as home care nurses, health education nurses, family nurses, community nurses, etc.) and a new model of home care, accompanied by specialised training in advanced nursing procedures, management of non-communicable diseases, mental health disorders, and specialised care for the elderly, HAP’s contribution has improved patient outcomes across all intervention regions.
Promoting Gender Equality and Reducing Stigmas
Beyond clinical interventions, HAP has actively worked towards promoting gender equality within the healthcare system. By encouraging women's participation in decision-making roles and addressing the stigma men face when seeking medical services, the project has fostered a more inclusive and equitable healthcare environment.
After a decade-long dedication to improving healthcare, the Health for All Project, now well in its Consolidation Phase, is working to ensure the sustainability of its major interventions in close cooperation with national health authorities to ensure Albanian citizens enjoy accessible, standardised and efficient health services.
Learn more about HAP’s initiatives and impact by browsing the brochure or visiting HAP’s official website.
