The Health for All (HAP) project convened its 21st Steering Committee meeting on 5 December 2025 at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, bringing together key health authorities, international partners and project leadership to review progress and discuss priorities as the project approaches its final year.
The meeting was co-chaired by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), with participation from the Operator of Health Services, the Agency for Quality Assurance of Health and Social Services, academia, professional bodies, international organisations and civil society representatives.
At the core of the agenda was the presentation of HAP’s half-year progress report covering April to September 2025, the first semester of Year Three of the Consolidation Phase. The report highlighted substantial progress in scaling up home care services, strengthening the management of non-communicable diseases, expanding Peer Groups as a mechanism for continuing education among health professionals, and advancing the integration of mental health and psychosocial services within primary health care.
Steering Committee members acknowledged the strong performance achieved during the reporting period, particularly the high proportion of HAP-supported health centres implementing home care services and the project’s contribution to capacity building among family physicians, nurses and allied professionals. The Committee approved the semi-annual progress report, confirming that the activities are in full alignment with national primary health care priorities.
Discussions focused strongly on sustainability and responsible handover, given that HAP is entering its final year of implementation. Representatives of the Swiss Embassy underlined the importance of consolidating the models, tools and practices introduced by the project, with particular emphasis on home care services. The need for continued advocacy, clear institutional ownership and adequate financing mechanisms was highlighted as critical to ensuring continuity beyond the project’s lifetime.
Attention was also drawn to data quality and monitoring, especially in relation to home care reporting, as well as to the formal approval and institutionalisation of clinical guidelines, protocols and manuals developed with HAP support. Participants reiterated the importance of reliable data, transparency and accountability as foundations for evidence-based decision-making in the health system.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining and further expanding home care services, noting that these services represent an important priority for addressing the needs of vulnerable populations within the framework of universal health coverage. The Ministry also confirmed ongoing collaboration with relevant institutions to support costing, monitoring and policy development related to primary health care.
The meeting concluded with a shared understanding that the final phase of HAP will focus increasingly on consolidation, capitalisation and sustainability, ensuring that the project’s results are embedded within Albania’s primary health care system and continue to benefit communities in the years ahead.