Lausanne, Switzerland — The Swiss Public Health Conference 2023, held in Lausanne on September 12-13, served as an important platform for discussions that refocused attention on the critical relationship between public health and primary care.
This year, the conference’s central theme was “Public Health and Primary Care: Stronger Together,” emphasizing the role of primary care as the cornerstone of the healthcare system in addressing the needs of an aging population facing a rise in chronic diseases.
The challenges of the Albanian healthcare system and the support of the HAP Project for improving the accessibility and quality of primary healthcare in Albania were presented to this audience through the presentation by the Project Manager of HAP, Dr. Besim Nuri, titled “Home and Social Care for People Living with NCDs in Albania“.
The presentation was part of the workshop “Primary Health Care and NCDs in Eastern Europe: Where do we stand and where to go?” organized by Prof. Kaspar Wyss, Director of the HAP Project and, concurrently, Deputy Director of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), the implementer of the HAP Project in Albania.
Pristina, Kosovo — Fast forward two weeks and we are at the International Symposium on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) held in Kosovo on September 27-29.
The symposium gathered around 500 international participants and renowned speakers and focused on exchanging best practices and drawing lessons and recommendations for the better management of NCDs.
This time, Prof. Kaspar Wyss provided a global overview of NCD control, emphasizing the need to strengthen the healthcare system and improve public health.
Meanwhile, Dr. Besim Nuri’s presentation, “Improving Accessibility and Quality of Services for Persons with Chronic Diseases in Albania,” highlighted HAP’s activities and achievements for the better prevention and control of NCDs in the country.
Both of these important international events served as an excellent opportunity to discover and exchange new approaches and solutions to common challenges with the aim of building a healthier future for everyone.