At the local level, the UN supported municipalities and social service providers to improve social planning and implement policy reforms, as follows:

15 municipalities (Belsh, Berat, Bulqize, Devoll, Diber, Dimal, Divjake, Korce, Kucove, Maliq, Patos, Permet, Pogradec, Roskovec, Tropoje) updated and costed their local social care plans, emphasising incorporation of a gender perspective, and an innovative social service delivery was established.

8 municipalities enhanced their understanding of gender-responsive social services.

2 municipalities (Gramsh and Gjirokaster) developed youth GRB.

15 municipalities (Belsh, Berat, Delvine, Devoll, Diber, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Librazhd, Patos, Pogradec, Roskovec, Shkoder, Tepelene, Vau i Dejes) received grants to set up and maintain new social services, benefiting some 5,600 people, including Roma and Egyptian (R&E) community members, children with disabilities and vulnerable families.

In 5 municipalities (Delvine, Dropull, Fushe-Arrez, Gjirokaster, Vau i Dejes), 700 women and girls raised several issues during participatory budgeting sessions, of which 60 percent were addressed effectively and incorporated into the local budgets.

The PRIZMA network (32 participants, 23 organisations) strengthened advocacy capabilities for GRB and social service delivery
monitoring.

In 61 municipalities, 100 staff were capacitated in social housing implementation and policy reforms and 278 local staff of social
services in the Integrated Social Service Model and service provision for PwD and to 16 community centres, benefiting 400 children and youth with disabilities.

In 12 regions, 585 doctors, social workers and social administrators strengthened their capacities
to implement the new national disability reform.

In Tirane and Durres, Child and Family Support Hubs were introduced, providing direct assistance to 40 children and their families
at risk of institutionalisation.

In 4 municipalities the community-based health and care model was scaled up, reaching 589 people from vulnerable and marginalised groups on accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services.

In 1 municipality, a crucial step towards provision of comprehensive care for the elderly was the establishment of a Long-Term Care database with potential replication at the national level, promoted in a National Conference with participation of representatives from all municipalities.

In 4 municipalities, integrated social services were provided to 5,360 persons, with a focus on the R&E population. Targeted initiatives capacitated 210 education professionals on inclusive education, benefiting 12,000 vulnerable children.

In 5 municipalities, the Universal Progressive Home Visiting methodology was applied, with 13,214 visits conducted for 3,303 at-risk children.

In 2 municipalities, focus was extended to improved inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers through the #WithRefugees campaign, and facilitation of ID issuance compatible with e-Albania for 16 persons with international protection, while rehabilitation of 37 returnees was supported and institution representatives capacitated in victim protection.

Strengthened partnerships with organisations providing on-the-ground services produced significant results by empowering 8,425 disadvantaged children, youth, PwD and R&E communities to demand and access services and increase their participation in decision-making processes, as well as 30 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in their advocacy and service provision roles.

Primary and secondary education:

Significant achievements were made with improving school practices and resilience, including the following:

- Repairs to 16 education facilities in 2023 through the programme EU4Schools, providing better services to 5,713 pupils and students, 364 teachers and 463,403 members of the communities, and a training needs assessment in information technology and digital literacy, with the participation of 785 teachers from 43 education facilities, visualised in real-time through the transparency portal eu4schoolsportal.al.
- Bolstering efforts for student achievements, secondary data analysis of Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) reports were conducted in collaboration with the National Centre for Education Quality including the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices study on dropout rates in upper secondary schools.
- Introduction of an Early Warning System for dropout prevention in 100 (15 Vocational Education and Training, VET; 85 upper secondary) schools benefited 911 school staff through capacity- building in the warning system, dropout prevention and socio-emotional learning.
- Comprehensive comparative review of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) strategies and policies cultivated a valuable knowledge base in education to inform future decision making. Albania also took part in an ongoing policy discourse in promoting STEM education, while a recently introduced optional subject on workplace dispute prevention was selected by some 6,000 high school students.
- ASCAP teacher training capacities enhanced on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE).

VET:

Improvements were evidenced in attendance and retention rates among 1,774 (443 girls) low achiever 15–18-year-old students in VET schools, while 1,278 students in VET schools were reached positively impacting their school attendance, retention, interactions with staff and other students and improving their socio-emotional skills. Meanwhile, advocacy efforts were directed at improving pre-university law, aligning it with the recommendations of the Committee monitoring the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), aiming to ensure inclusive settings in all schools and transform special schools into resource centres.

Non-formal learning:

UN provided opportunities to 500 Afghan 6–18-year-olds in Shengjin, equipping them with digital, language, maths and life skills. Meanwhile, 2,000 vulnerable children were supported in learning English, 200 teachers and assistant teachers from five municipalities were trained in inclusive education and, in close partnership with ASCAP, 345 teachers in how to integrate refuges and migrant children in Albania.

Health APs and policies

Health APs and policies were developed and endorsed for the following:

- Mental Health AP, 2023–2026
- National AP on Drugs Prevention, Treatment and Harm Reduction, 2023–2026
- National AP on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), 2023–2030
- Operationalization of the Roadmap for Quality of Care and Patient Safety

Collaborative policy dialogue

- Newborn, child and adolescent health, SRH, mental health, prevention of overweight and obesity, healthy aging, the One - - Health mechanism addressing antimicrobial resistance, immunisation and network-based Primary Healthcare (PHC) model, including home visiting and local community action

Evidence for health policy advocacy and action

Childhood Obesity Surveillance Study (3,159 8–9-year-old children)
- Secondary analysis of database of health behaviour of school-age children (5,454 children, age 11, 13 and 15 years)
- Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness study (1,363 healthcare workers)
- Enhanced Covid-19 and Influenza Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) surveillance to estimate vaccine effectiveness (3,899 patients)

Community engagement for health literacy and inclusion

- SRH advocacy
- Youth involvement in supporting the elderly in vulnerable settings (40,000 persons)
- Noncommunicable diseases primary and secondary prevention with focus on diabetes screening (1,400 persons)
- 12,172 home visits (for 3,883 <5-year-olds), contributing to strengthening PHC while putting children and families at the centre of services and focusing on the most vulnerable
- 257 health personnel from 7 target regions, skilled in child growth and development monitoring, vision and hearing screening, supporting parental skills and well-being, gender norms, child protection against discrimination and stigma

Newborn care

- Targeted improvements to the regulatory frameworks and supervised support to enforce care standards in 9 maternity hospitals
- 10 standard treatment protocols created for doctors and nurses in newborn care, engaging some 150 health professionals, in addition to nationwide capacity development

Health and nutrition

- 500 education professionals, school management, teachers and health personnel in Tirane and Elbasan informed in how to enforce healthy nutrition at school and >486 school-age children and 138 parents in 10 schools participated in activities promoting healthy nutrition. School-specific APs for non-obesogenic environments were developed for 10 schools.
- Physical activities for children in the framework of the NowWeMove campaign organised for some 200 children, 30 children with disabilities
- Nutrition interventions promoted and regulatory framework for food standards and marketing of unhealthy foods in school settings were strengthened to address overweight and obesity in middle childhood

Mental health

- Establishment of the National Multi-sectoral Sub-committee on Mental Health and Psycho-social Well-being and Development of Children and Adolescents within the National Mental Health Committee and development of 4 regional APs integrating mental health and psycho-social well-being
- Guidelines for mental health and psycho-social well-being along the care pathway revised or developed, followed by capacity-building sessions (316 participants) in three regions. Health professionals in Lezhe and Elbasan supported with capacity development, instruments and tools to address postpartum depression.
- Mental Health Anti-Stigma Youth Campaign reaching more than 3,000 young individuals; 98 young people empowered to discuss mental health and well-being and engaged in action leading community initiatives in 5 municipalities

Support to vulnerable groups in addressing critical health challenges

- National workshop held with 5 municipalities and CSO representatives on feasible approaches for direct financing of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to support vulnerable groups
- Health authorities and services with special focus on mothers, children and adolescents provided for some 1,600 Afghanis (781 children & adolescents) in Shengjin, with 113 health professionals capacitated in Lezhe; 74 children (35 girls) received immunisation services and 678 community members participated in health promotion activities
- HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre established in Berat male prison
- 4 focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted (50 participants from communities of men who have sex with men and transgender, people who use intravenous drugs, female sex workers, people living with HIV) on improving access to HIV self-testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis; 93 healthcare workers trained in promoting and prescribing HIV self-testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis
- Trained health personnel conducted 12,172 home visits, reaching 3,883 <5 year-olds (1,814 female, 586 R&E) using standard guidelines and tools

Emergency preparedness and planning

- All-Hazard Emergency Operation Plan of Mother Tereza University Hospital Centre revised, including the Radiological Emergency Contingency Plan, with capacity building for 125 technical and managerial personnel from 34 services
- Durres Regional Hospital and Shkoder Emergency Operational Plans followed up
- Capacity building of 125 participants in assessment of biosecurity risks in district & regional Public Health Laboratories, emerging and re-emerging pathogens with One Health approach, zoonotic disease management and planning for health security
- 2 tabletop exercises on Emergency Operation Plan simulating scenarios of flash flood and epidemic outbreak with actors from health institutions and emergency management entities

Immunisation

- National Immunization Programme supported with capacity building of around 298 health professionals, education and local government professionals in cold chain management, safe storage of vaccines, introduction of new vaccines, microplanning for childhood vaccinations and multisectoral approaches to increase immunization demand
- Equipment procured for 80 vaccination units.
- 2,418 home visits in 7 selected areas undertaken through community engagement of youth in support of people in vulnerable settings to support safe administration of vaccines; personal protective equipment to health authorities delivered
- Puppet show Mr Stethoscope took centre stage, aiming to bolster community acceptance of vaccines and combat misinformation. Tailored for children, the show used puppetry to convey the messages, with some 1,000 children participating

Covid-19 control and post-Covid-19 management

- Guidelines developed and training in post-Covid management held for 178 PHC professionals, 208 hospital care professionals and 97 psycho-social staff
- National Immunization Technical Advisory Group technically supported in preparing 14 context-specific recommendations on Covid-19
- Comprehensive studies on effectiveness of Covid-19 and Influenza vaccines for healthcare workers conducted with rapid qualitative research (126 workers) on interventions for successful vaccination uptake
- Covid-19 vaccination and use of personal protective equipment promoted and facilitated through engagement of youth in support of fragile people in vulnerable settings, with 2,418 home visits in 7 selected areas