Health

Introduction

The study and evaluation of the health situation through statistical indicators is part of the overall assessment of the health care system in Albania with the final aim of further consolidation and improvement of its services. The transition period caused difficulties and problems to the health care system. Nevertheless, the main indicators show a consistent trend of improvement both for the primary health care and hospital services. The level of some important indicators as lifetime, death and chronicle diseases are comparable to those of the developed countries, while infantile death, maternal death and acute infective disease are comparable to those of the countries in development. We observe a positive indicator in decrease of infective disease and reduce of those prevented by vaccination. The health system in Albania is mainly public. The private sector covers the drug stores and dental clinics. This system has developed in a very significant manner during the transition years. The institutions of public institutions of primary health care aim at providing very good living conditions in compliance with the objectives of IHO “health for everyone”. These institutions have decreased in number and basic activity indicators. This is explained with their restructuring process, creation of comfortable rooms, increase of quality of service as well as the creation of private sector. In hospitals, the indicators of the hospital service covering all health services are used in analysis of the disease, epidemic, death, and human resources indicators. The institutions of Hospital Service cover general and specialized hospitals. Reform in this sector accomplished by donors aid is improving the services and concentration of them in big hospitals as far as more qualified and equipment are concerned. We present here a group of diseases resulting in progressive growth like: respiratory, gastrointestinal, infective, urogenital, blood circulating and heart and cerebral attacks.Statistics show that a relatively high number of deaths and diseases in Albania are result of smoking, alcohol, imprudence in the streets, use of illegal drugs, food and stress as the new modern phenomenon of the society. Passive living is a risk factor as it presents a potential problem for hypertension, heart diseases, strokes etc. Data Sources

The data are collected through administrative records and surveys. The statistical data are provided by all hospitals, primary health care institutions, and social care institutions as well as by regional offices of the Civil Registry. Authorized institutions send the information to regional offices while national ones directly to the Ministry of Public Health.