WASHINGTON: The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group approved Euro 32.1 million in IBRD financing for the Health System Improvement Project in Albania.
With the remainder co-financed by the Government of Albania, the total project cost is Euro 36.1 million. The project will support improving the efficiency of care in selected hospitals in Albania, improving the management of information in the health system, and increasing financial access to health services.
The sector suffers from inefficiencies and inequities. Out-of-pocket payments of patients accounts for more than half of total expenditures on health. With only half of the poor covered by social health insurance, increased health spending has pushed more households into poverty. Unofficial payments remain common, particularly in public hospitals. Key health system performance indicators in Albania are mixed. While health outcomes are relatively strong by regional standards, quality of care is a significant concern.
Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Country Manager for Albania, said, “The health sector reforms are complex, and there is still a large unfinished agenda. Government has shown strong commitment to undertaking reforms in several key areas, including improving health financing systems and hospital services, pharmaceutical reforms, and expanding social health insurance. The new project will support the health sector reform agenda with the aim to improve access and efficiency of health care services.”
