Albania: Regional consultation a success

Albania announced today that the Regional Consultation on Children with Genetic Diseases in South Eastern Europe was closed successfully with participants asking politicians in the region to work more to guarantee the right to life for children. The event was funded and supported from the Open Society Foundation, East-East Programme, in Albania.

Regional Consultation ?Children with Genetic Diseases: Policy and Practice in countries of South Eastern Europe? took place on 21-22 February 2007 in Tirana / Albania. Participants of the event were representatives of NGO's and national health institutions from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Serbia and Slovenia. During the two-day event the participants debated and presented national experiences from their countries, while focusing on what should be done to guarantee the right to life of children with genetic diseases.

Several positive proposals came forward during the Regional Consultation such as the establishment of a Regional Genetic Diagnostic Center in one of the SEE countries, the need to establish new medial and social policies in support of children and finally the necessity for legal changes in genetic screening of the new-borns (in Albania and Kosovo) in order to better protect children with genetic diseases.

The opening of the Regional Consultation was welcomed from Mrs. Liri Berisha, wife of Albanian Prime-minister and President of the Albanian Children's Foundation; Dr. Nevena Vuckovic Sahovic, Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; Mr. Arben Ivanaj, Vice-Minister of Health of Albania and Mr. Zef Bushati, Vice-minister of European Integration of Albania.

The initiative ?ALEX AND VLADI? aims to debate and suggest strategies for Public Health Services in dealing with children with genetic diseases under the framework of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the right of the child to life in countries of South-East Europe. The initiative would review and exchange regional country experiences on public health policies in guarantying the respect of the rights of the child.

The Children?s Human Rights Centre of Albania ? CRCA / DCI Albania, is one of the major civil society organisations in Albania and the region of South Eastern Europe working to improve the situation of children?s and youth rights through lobby and advocacy, capacity building, policy and legislation formulation.

More info:
www.crca.org.al