Albania

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The 2005 general elections resulted in Albania’s first peaceful transfer of power since 1992. But even as its democracy matures, Albania remains one of the poorest nations in Europe. Malnutrition is especially concentrated in rural areas and in the northern regions.

Issues facing children in Albania

• Few pregnant mothers receive adequate prenatal care. Neonatal deaths account for the highest number of infant and child deaths.
• Child survival has improved dramatically since the 1990s. But some regions, especially the northeast and the peri-urban areas of Tirana and Durres, continue to lag behind.
• Despite high enrolment rates, about 52 per cent of children actually attend primary school.
• Seventy per cent of Roma children lack birth certificates, which are needed to attend school or access health services in public clinics.
• Several risk factors – including migration, a reluctance to use condoms and a rise in intravenous drug use – threaten to raise HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among young people.
• Child trafficking remains a concern. Some impoverished families send their children abroad to work or rely on children to beg in the streets.
• No government structure holds primarily responsibility for addressing the issue of  physical and psychological violence against children, whether in the home or at residential care institutions.

Activities and results for children

• The government has assumed full responsibility for funding routine immunizations. National coverage rates now exceed 97 per cent.
• In both urban and rural communities, 99 per cent of births are registered.
• In Albania’s northern districts, hundreds of health-care workers have been trained in prenatal and obstetric care and better case management of common childhood illnesses.
• Maternity wards and community-based support groups are encouraging mothers to breastfeed.
• A new Country Programme of Cooperation signed in 2006 by the Albanian government and UNICEF focuses on providing basic services to vulnerable populations, especially children and women from ethnic minorities and rural areas.
• UNICEF continues to promote universal salt iodization, which will eliminate iodine deficiency disorders.
• Working with UNICEF, the Albanian government funds the purchase of antiretroviral drugs for people with HIV/AIDS. Other initiatives include youth-friendly, confidential HIV/AIDS testing and school-based lessons to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention.
• A National Plan of Action to Combat Child Trafficking has been developed. Greece and Albania are cooperating to address this problem along their border.
• A project to reform Albania’s juvenile justice system is underway.
• The Ministry of Education is working with UNICEF to develop new school curricula and standards for learning achievements.
• A popular TV show called ‘Troc’ (or ‘Straight Talk’) showcases the talents of young reporters and has helped focus public awareness on children’s issues.
• The Albania Read initiative, launched in 2006, aims to combat falling levels of reading achievement by providing funding for public school libraries, teacher training, community reading corners, and workshops for authors of children’s literature.