The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on April 6, 2006
The European Journal of Public Health 2006 16(3):243-245; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckl017
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Transition in Eastern Europe |
Building public health associations in the transition countries of south-eastern Europe: the example of Albania
Enver Roshi1, Genc Burazeri1, Vesna Bjegovic2, Lidia Georgieva3, Doncho Donev4, Gabriela Scintee5, Bajram Hysa1 and Ulrich Laaser6
1 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
2 Institute of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
3 Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria
4 Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje, Macedonia
5 Institute of Public Health, Bucharest, Romania
6 Section of International Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bielefeld, Germany
Correspondence: Enver Roshi, MD, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, Rruga Dibres, No. 371, Tirana, Albania, tel: +355 4262782; fax: +355 4257420; e-mail: e_roshi{at}yahoo.com
The Albanian Forum of Public Health (AFPH), an umbrella organization including different public health associations operating in Albania, was established in March 2004 with the support of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) and the Open Society Institute (OSI). Ever since its establishment the AFPH has been an open arena wherein opinions and options for rational health policies comprising all relevant issues of the New Public Health are discussed, formulated, and documented near the Albanian Ministry of Health.
Notwithstanding the laudable mission of the AFPH, there is an emerging need to establish a regional Public Health Forum in south-east Europe as a basic prerequisite for sustainable development of public health in these countries. Most conveniently, this regional umbrella organization should have a supporting Secretariat based in one of the south-east European countries. Nevertheless, there is a clear call for international funding with participation of different agencies and bodies (OSI, EUPHA, Canadian International Development Agency, and the Stability Pact). A regional association in the south-east Europe would enable the organization of annual conferences in the most renowned institutions in the region. Also, a regional collaboration among public health associations would be a suitable start for the development of research in south-east Europe. Furthermore, the existence of a regional public health association would make feasible the establishment of a scientific public health journal for south-east Europe in the English language.
Keywords: Albania, professionalization, public health associations, south-east Europe