USAID/Albania Health Strategy and Portfolio Achievements, Opportunities and a Way Forward. Strategic Appraisal

摘要

At the request of the United States Agency for International Development in Albania (USAID/Albania), a three-person team including Harriett Destler and Nathan Blanchet of Europe and Eurasia Bureau (E&E), and Joyce Holfeld of IT Shows Inc, assessed the mission health strategy and current portfolio. The purpose was aid the mission in developing its next strategy. The team met with officials of USAID, Albanian government, the implementing partners and other donors, and reviewed program activities in three prefectures. Timing of the visit proved fortuitous for three reasons: the mission is preparing its strategy for 2006-2011, the World Bank is designing its next health loan, and the newly-elected Government of Albania (GOA) is laying out its priorities in health. While the mission has supported health activities for more than a decade, various national events disrupted assistance. For example, support for family planning with John Snow Inc. (JSI) has had two major hiatuses: once in the 1997 due to civil unrest in response to the pyramid schemes, and again during a year in 2003 due to mission reprogramming. In 2003 the mission refocused its strategic objective and narrowed its program. The current $3.4 million annual health budget now supports two projects: one, PROShendetit, in primary health care (PHC) reform with University Research Corporation (URC) and the other in family planning with JSI.