Albania

Legal status and visa requirements for those who were forced to leave Ukraine
Access to the healthcare services
Services for People Living with HIV
Services for People Living with Hepatitis B/C
Tuberculosis services​
Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) Services​
Sources
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General information and legal support within Albania

Legal status and visa requirements for those who were forced to leave Ukraine

According to Decision No.173 of the Government of Albania, Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave Ukraine, will be granted the status of Temporary Protected persons for a duration of 1 year.

Information for displaced persons arriving from Ukraine

Biometric passports are not required for the Ukrainian citizens to enter Albania.

According to Government Decisions No.169 and 173, a visa is not required for the Ukrainian citizens to enter Albania.

Refugee status/ asylum seeker status/ temporary protection status

From the legal point of view, Under the Temporary Protection Act, issued by the Albanian Government (Act No.169 and Act 173), Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave Ukraine and enter Albania, are processed under the temporary protection status, and the registration requirements are carried out in line with the Law on Asylum. Consequently, they are provided access to the health care system. This is granted in line with the provisions of Article 50 of Law on Asylum in Albania. Medical examinations are performed, and medical treatments are granted as per specific needs.

Official Gazette of Republic of Albania

According to Government Decisions No.169 and 173, the Temporary protection status for Ukrainian citizens is granted with the entry into the territory of Albania and with the registration to the Authorities.

According to Government Decision No.173, a Task Force will be established to manage the process of Temporary Protection for Ukrainians. This includes providing immediate health care. No more information is available for the decisions and the activities of the Task Force.

Learn more about stay in Albania:

Portal of Government of Albania
Portal of Ministry of Interior, Albania, EN
Useful links in Ukrainian:

Access to the healthcare services

Where can the Ukrainians who were forced to leave Ukraine go for the following healthcare services?

In Albanian language only

From the legal point of view, Under the Temporary Protection Act, issued by the Albanian Government (Act No.169 and Act 173), Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave Ukraine, and who entered Albania, are processed under the temporary protection status,  and the registration requirements are carried out in line with the Law on Asylum. Consequently, they are provided access to the health care system. This is granted in line with the provisions of Article 50,  of Law on Asylum in Albania.  Medical examinations are performed, and medical treatments are granted as per specific needs.

The details/registration requirements are not available at this point. The taskforce that has to be established according to Government Decision No.173, will lay down the details. As referenced in Article 50 and 51 of Law on Asylum, Ukrainian citizens will be granted access to immediate medical examinations at the locations where they are admitted.

More information here:

According to Article 57 and 87 of Law on Asylum, persons will be provided with access to health care, which entails Acute treatment and treatment of serious medical conditions. According to the temporary protection status, they will be processed via a special procedure, and they will be addressed to the specific illness categories: Emergency units, General Hospitals, University clinics, etc.

According to Government Decision No.173, third country nationals enjoy the same rights granted to Ukrainian citizens.

As referenced in Article 57 and 87, based on the case-by-case examination, Ukrainian citizens will then receive the required medical treatment. In case of unavailability of specific medical treatment in Albania, the Government is working with the international donors and organisations to secure proper treatment. These services are provided for free. There’s no information of the co-payment practices.

According to Law on Asylum, these services will be offered in the language in which they understand.

The taskforce, which is tasked to manage the process of the admission of Ukrainian citizens, is working with different organisations to provide all the services required. This includes the activating of NGOs and volunteers to provide translation.

Sources:
  • Official Gazette of Albania (Decision No.173)
  • Ministry of Interior, Albania

According to Article 57 and 87 of Law on Asylum, persons will be provided with access to health care, which entails Acute treatment and treatment of serious medical conditions. According to the temporary protection status, they will be processed via a special procedure, and they will be addressed to the specific illness categories: Emergency units, General Hospitals, University clinics, etc.

As referenced in Article 57 and 87, based on the case-by-case examination, Ukrainian citizens will then receive the required medical treatment. In case of unavailability of specific medical treatment in Albania, the Government is working with the international donors and organisations to secure proper treatment. These services are provided for free. There’s no information on the co-payment practices.

According to Law on Asylum, these services will be offered in the language in which they will be understood. The taskforce, which is tasked to manage the process of the admission of Ukrainian citizens, is working with different organisations to provide all the services required. This includes the activating of NGOs and volunteers to provide translation. (Official Gazette of Albania(Decision No.173)

Services for People Living with HIV

HIV-testing

According to Article 2 of the Law on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, the foreign citizens who are equipped with a temporary residence permit, will be granted access to free of charge HIV Testing. (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Albania)

According to Article 28 of the same law, testing is done at public medical centres, free of charge. Testing can be voluntary or mandatory. (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Albania)

The HIV treatment is centralised and is done at the University Hospital in Tirana. Ukrainian citizens can obtain these services at the University Hospital in Tirana (QSUT).

See more information here

According to Article 28.2, minors can be tested only with the written permission from the parent or legal guardian.

Antiretroviral treatment (ART)

According to provisions of Law on Prevention and Control of HIV, there are no preconditions and no restrictive approach in receiving the ART.

Based on the provisions of the Law on the Prevention and the Control of HIV, all types of medical treatments are to be provided, either through state health care services and /or NGO programs.

How can minors get treatment?

According to medical brochures available online, minors can receive ART after consultations with the doctor (State Agency for the protection and Children’s rights).

Services for People Living with Hepatitis B/C

Hepatitis B/C testing, Hepatitis B vaccination, and Hepatitis B/C treatment availability

According to the “Law on Prevention and Treatment of Transmissible Diseases” (Art.7-8), public health institutions are tasked to grant access to testing and treatment. Testing and treatment are done in main/regional hospitals and at the University Hospital “Mother Theresa” in Tirana.  (Ministry of health, Albania, Public health Institute).

Treatment options available for hepatitis related liver diseases

According to the information from the University Hospital “Mother Theresa” in Tirana, operating 24/7, they conduct examinations and treat all hepatitis related diseases.

Tuberculosis services

If the person has TB symptoms:

According to the “Law on Prevention of Infectious Diseases”, the patients are referred at the University Hospital “Mother Theresa” in Tirana, department of infectious diseases.

There are 4 possibilities where a Ukrainian citizen can screen for TB:

  1. Institute of Public health. Official website: https://www.ishp.gov.al/
  2. University Hospital for Pulmonary diseases
  3. Regional Hospitals
  4. Primary health centres

(Law on Prevention of Infectious Diseases, The University Hospital “Mother Theresa” in Tirana, Portal of Institute of Public health).

If TB was already diagnosed in Ukraine and the person needs to continue treatment:

According to Law on Asylum, authorities will provide access to medical examinations to the persons under temporary protections status. Provisions further specify that for specific treatments, authorities will decide on a case-by-case basis. The main institution for the treatment is University Hospital “Mother Theresa” in Tirana.

Find tuberculosis services here

Preventive treatment

  1. University Hospital for Pulmonary diseases
  2. Regional Hospitals

Vaccination with BCG

  1. University Hospital for Pulmonary diseases
  2. Regional Hospitals
  3. Primary health centres
Find more healthcare institutions here

Non-medical support

According to the Law on Asylum and The Government Decision No.173, authorities will provide shelter, food, psychological support, and access to education.

Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) services

Medication rules

Treatment availability remains limited in Albania. The public sector and NGOs are the main stakeholders involved in drug treatment and in harm reduction service provision. There is only one public centre that treats people who use drugs and are considered high-risk, i.e. the Addictology and Clinical Toxicology Service of Tirana University Hospital Centre “Mother Theresa”. It is advisable that the Ukrainian citizens see a doctor before receiving OAT.

A second specialised inpatient centre, operated by the NGO Mission Emanuel (check the contacts via partner organisation Dorcas), is a therapeutic community with around 20 beds.

It is important that Ukrainian OAT patients bring their doctor’s prescription with them.

In addition, Aksion Plus in Albania has programmes for OAT treatment. It operates six units in Tirana and five other districts.

 

What OAT drugs are available in the country?

Methadone is the only medication available in Albania.

Sources

General requirements and access to healthcare

01. Portal of Government of Albania
02. Portal of Ministry of Interior
04. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
05. The UN Refugee Agency
06. International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
07. CARITAS Albania
08. Ukrainian Embassy in Tirana
09. Ministry of health and Social Welfare
10. University Clinic “Mother Theresa”

HIV

01. Ministry of health and Social Welfare
04. Institute of Public Health
05. Department of public Health in Tirana
06. Country Coordinating Mechanism
07. University Clinic “Mother Theresa”

Hepatitis B/C

01. Ministry of health and Social Welfare
03. Institute of Public Health
04. University Clinic “Mother Theresa”
05. Global Health Fund

TB

04. University Clinic “Mother Theresa”
06. Institute of Public Health
07. European Test Finder

OAT

  • 01. Drug treatment systems in the Western Balkans

    European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Drug treatment systems in the Western Balkans: outcomes of a joint EMCDDA-UNODC survey of drug treatment facilities, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2019.
    www.unodc.org/pdf

02. University Clinic “Mother Theresa”