The World Health Organization (WHO) organised an International Mini-Conference on 25 February 2026, bringing together experts and project representatives from various European countries to discuss progress and challenges in integrating mental health services into Primary Health Care (PHC).
The “Health for All” (HAP) project was represented at this forum by the Project Manager, Dr Besim Nuri, who presented Albania’s experience in strengthening the integration of mental health services into PHC, as well as HAP’s supportive role in this reform process.
Context in Albania
With a population of approximately 2.4 million, Albania provides mental health services through:
- 2 psychiatric hospitals
- 2 inpatient psychiatric services
- 13 supported homes
- 9 community mental health centres
- 1 National Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Centre for Children
Primary Health Care currently consists of:
- 362 PHC centres with 1,167 family doctors and 6,636 family nurses, of which
- 102 have been transformed into Social Health Centres with psychosocial staff
Albania’s regulatory framework supports the integration of mental health into PHC. Key documents include:
- The Package of Services in PHC (Council of Ministers Decision No. 101, 04.02.2015)
- The Strategy on the Development of PHC Services in Albania 2020–2025 (Council of Ministers Decision No. 405, 20.05.2020)
- The Action Plan for the Development of Mental Health Services in Albania 2013–2022 (2013)
- The Regulation on Mental Health Services (2013)
However, strengthening structures, clarifying roles and ensuring continuous training remain essential for effective implementation.
HAP’s contribution to integrating mental health into PHC
Mental health is a priority area of the HAP project, with approximately 20,000 people with mental health disorders included among its main beneficiaries.
Key interventions
2021
HAP supported the drafting of the report “Development of PHC in Albania and Mental Health” by international expert Rembrant Aarts.
2022
HAP supported the development and approval of the key document: “Guidelines on the Management of Mental Health Disorders in PHC”, approved on 15 July 2022 for use by family doctors, family nurses and psychosocial staff in health centres.
2022–2025
389 PHC professionals from 20 Local Units of Health Care were trained as trainers in the management of mental health disorders in PHC, including:
- 163 family doctors
- 130 nurses
- 55 psychologists/social workers
- 41 LUHC personnel
2026
HAP supported the drafting and approval of the “Manual of the Psychologist in Primary Health Care”, approved on 2 February 2026, along with the upcoming training sessions for its implementation.
Dr Nuri’s Key Message at the Conference
Dr Besim Nuri emphasised that the integration of mental health into Primary Health Care in Albania is a sustainable institutional process, developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and within the framework of the Mental Health Action Plan 2023–2026. Alongside the development of professional guidelines for managing mental health disorders in PHC, the adoption of a cascade training model, first with ToTs and then with Peer Groups, ensures that project interventions can expand nationwide.
Dr Nuri also highlighted the importance of interprofessional collaboration at PHC level, noting that the inclusion of psychologists in health centres has significantly increased the confidence and capacity of family doctors and nurses in managing mental health cases. In this context, he referred to HAP’s support in developing the Manual of the Psychologist in PHC as not only a clinical tool but also an organisational instrument to facilitate effective integration of psychologists within multidisciplinary teams. At the same time, ongoing work with social workers, including the development of clinical instruments and a dedicated manual, aims to ensure the full coordination of all professional resources within PHC.
In conclusion, Dr Nuri underlined that while political will exists and normative and professional foundations have been laid for integrating mental health into PHC, further resource strengthening and a structured monitoring and evaluation phase are still needed to measure the real impact of this relatively new service within PHC.