World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the United Nations system, and adheres to the UN values of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity. The Constitution was adopted at the International Health Conference held in New York from 19 June – 22 July 1946, signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States and entered into force on 7 April 1948, a date celebrated every year as World Health Day.

As of 2020, the WHO has 194 member states, all of the member states of the United Nations except for Liechtenstein, plus the Cook Islands and Niue. Furthermore, the values of the WHO workforce reflect the principles of human rights, universality and equity established in WHO’s Constitution as well as the ethical standards of the Organization. WHO is working in 150 country offices, in Six regional offices and at the headquarters in Geneva.

The WHO Country Office was established in Tirana in 1991.

The Country Office supports the Government of Albania to shape its health policy in line with WHO’s principles and values and advocates for an integrated approach to health development. By means of a single, unified, and functionally integrated country representation, WHO facilitates the implementation of the Biennial Collaborative Agreement (BCA) with the Government of Albania and its corresponding country work plan. WHO Country Office in Albania provides leadership in health, coordinates partnership in health and all health-related activities with all stakeholders in health sector.

Albania is one of the co-sponsors of “The Covid-19 response resolution” that was adopted by consensus on the 73rd World Health Assembly, the first – ever to be held virtually on 19 May 2020. Albania is among countries engaged with the Covax Facility the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.

On 20.11.2020, in a country visit to Albania, Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, and Albania’s Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ms. Ogerta Manastirliu, signed a new biennial collaborative agreement (BCA), setting out areas where WHO and the Albanian government can make efforts to improve the health and well-being of the population. This agreement includes coverage of health services, maternal, child, and reproductive health, tackling both communicable and non-communicable diseases, health financing, and emergency preparedness and response, including COVID-19.

The institution responsible for cooperation with the organization is the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.