Browsing by Author "Georgieva, Lidia (6701324736)"

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. © The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

It is argued that each country of South Eastern Europe should have its own school of public health. However, a basic prerequisite of modern public health training is the comprehensiveness of the programme and a worldview approach. Most of the countries of South Eastern Europe face the same difficulties to adapt their inherited communist structures of public health training to Western standards. A regional collaboration would facilitate the process of establishing schools of public health in all countries of the region and support the training of public health professionals at all levels. Key Points asterisk inside a circle sign South East Europe includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Moldavia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia. asterisk inside a circle sign Public health institutions in South East Europe face similar difficulties to adapt their inherited teaching structures to Western standards. asterisk inside a circle sign Public health institutions in South East Europe should make a joint effort towards establishing regional training programmes. asterisk inside a circle sign A regional approach in public health training would enable an efficient use of resources in countries of South East Europe. © European Public Health Association 2005; all rights reserved.