Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #103142

Zamira Sinoimeri¹, Erol Çomo², Llukan Rrumbullaku³, and Marcel Reyners¹. (1) URC, PROShëndetit Project, Rr Budi 41/1, Tirana, Albania, +355 4 340 235, zsinoimeri@urc-chs.com, (2) Ambulatory Care, Ministry of Health, Boulevardi Bajram Çurri, 1, Tirana, Albania, (3) Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Rruga e Dibrës, nr 370, Tirana, Albania

Albania's public health system faces a range of obstacles, including insufficient basic training for health professionals; lack of experts in specific sectors; emigration of trained staff; low motivation among service providers, especially in remote rural areas; and lack of refresher courses or continuous professional education. The USAID funded PRO Shëndetit (Pro Health) project in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Faculty of Medicine, initiated a training program based on existent structures at the district level. Selected hospital staff of each district participates in a training-of-trainers course. A working group encompassing participants from the local public health authorities, the professional groups of medical doctors, nurses/midwives, and the hospital staff proposes a list of topics in which to provide training during the coming year. Bi-monthly participatory-based training sessions, focusing on practical knowledge and skill transfer, take place at the hospital. The performance improvement program is linked with systematic client oriented quality improvement at the health facility (including the participation of the health post staff in the remote villages of the district) and with an embryonic accreditation system. District authorities evaluate participants' compliance and performance during regular facilitative supervision visits.

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