Citizens pay out of pocket for health funds at the lowest level since 2017

Public spending on health in Albania fell to its lowest level since 2017, accounting for only 9.6% of total public spending in 2024, according to a report by the organization "Together for Life".

According to the analysis, although the budget of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has increased significantly during the pandemic years (2017–2021), the years 2022 and 2023 have marked a progressive contraction of funding.

"In 2024, despite the increase in nominal value, the total expenditures of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection continue to be decreasing, resulting in 3.2% of GDP and 10.8% of total public expenditures. Public spending on health and social protection in 2024 marks the lowest level measured over the last 7 years," the report states.

The report highlights that in recent years the health sector in Albania has been underfunded, especially in terms of health care services.

"This is further reinforced by the high level of out-of-pocket payments with over 50% of the total expenditures incurred for healthcare, which are borne by the citizens themselves," the report states.

At the regional level, our country ranks last in terms of expenditures in the health sector.

"In addition to the fact that these expenses are the lowest, the analysis also shows a discrepancy between the figures reported by the Albanian government in its official documents and those published by international institutions."

Albanian citizens continue to pay out of pocket for health services, more than other countries in the region, with a level of 51.3% in 2022.

As for the procedures followed for public tenders in healthcare, according to the report, the contracts are concentrated in a few operators.

"A small number of companies win most tenders in the pharmaceutical and medical device sector, limiting competition and excluding new or small operators," the report states.

At the top of the list of operators that have benefited the most contracts over the last few years are:

While in 80% of the canceled procedures occurred due to errors by the responsible staff.

"Out of 122 cancelled procedures, 98 were cancelled due to errors in the tender documentation, reflecting serious shortcomings in their preparation and management."

Also, a low level of competition is observed in the tendering processes, with an average of 1.37 economic operators per procedure.

The differences between the limit fund and the winning bids for each lot are minimal according to the report, raising concerns about the lack of effective competition and the criteria that have influenced this outcome.

In conclusion, the report suggests some recommendations that focus on increasing public spending on health, improving transparency and data publication, increasing competition in tenders, strengthening monitoring and audit mechanisms, and reviewing the legal framework./Citizens.al