IMPROVING HEALTH CARE OF PREGNANT

WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Tiranë, January, 28. 2004

Recently the media informed about the birth of a baby beyond the normal living parameters. Affected in the mother womb by the rare disease of hydrocephalus, the baby couldn’t survive more than 24 hours. The birth could have been prevented. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case, especially in the area of Elbasan. It is distressing  when we observe the statistic progress of the babies lives 0-1 years of age. According to the recent official report published by INSTAT, during 2002 it resulted that there is a considerable increase of the infantile death rates of this age, compared with the previous years since 1999.

 Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC) and the Women Bar Centre (WBA) as well as organizations dealing with human rights and the assistance of women in need have publicly reacted against the conspicuous negligence shown to mother and child.

AHC and WBC remind the responsible authorities of the fact that providing a special protection by the State for this category, is a constitutional liability expressively prescribed by article 54/1 of our Constitution. Life, health and development protection is a state liability prescribed by the international legislation on human rights, where the most evident one is the International Convention of Human rights, ratified by our country since 1992.

In this context the Albanian state is responsible about the unfavourable situation as regards mother and child. It is its duty to take emergent action. It is true that in Albania there is an indispensable legal context, a package of laws comprised of acts adopted by the Parliament, and some by-laws, that can be more efficiently amended. But, actually , we consider that the positive intervention of the relevant state structure is still an emergency, especially on the part of the government and the Ministry of Health, about the improvement of health care, which has experienced a considerable decrease in the last 10 years.

Health care in the villages, where the unlucky baby came from is nonexistent. It is worth mentioning the damaging phenomenon of corruption and in some cases of turning health care into a business activity.

AHC and WBC appeal to the health state structures to better enforce the laws in force and to hold responsible those people who are legally charged with pregnant women and child care.

AHC and WBC appeal to the Ministry of Health to take emergent action to strengthen the primary service throughout the country, especially in the rural and marginalized areas.

AHC and WBC appeal to the Ministry of Health to impose ongoing controls to observe the mother and child care and to intervene with concrete measures to improve the situation.

Albanian Helsinki Committee and the Women Bar Center seek for the cooperation of the state authorities with the civil society to ensure an increase of the cultural level and health education in the rural areas and the families in need.

The very short-lived life of the baby and other several cases that have occurred in Elbasan are a powerful appeal to the state structures responsible for environmental protection, concretely the Ministry of Environment, that needs to take urgent action to respect Article 56 of the Constitution, the article that affirms the right of any citizen to be informed about the state of environment and its protection.

Albanian Helsinki Committee and the Women Bar Center reminds the Albanian government that There is no more time. Not only the citizens in Elbasan, but all the ones throughout Albania deserve to be informed about their rights, about the state of the environment,  in the districts they reside, the level of tits pollution and the potential consequences coming from pollution.

Albanian Helsinki Committee and the Women Bar Center appeals to the Albanian government to be transparent about the continuous measures it takes about mother and child protection as well as environmental protection.