Welcome Speech for
The Third International Congress on Rural Health in Mediterranean and Balkan Countries”
“From Transition to Sustainable Development:
Healthy Farmers producing Healthy Food in a Healthy Environment”



When, after decades of political taboos and lack of information, we in Albania started to discuss about health inequities, it was immediate to observe how different health indicators of rural communities from those of urban areas are. Unfortunately most of those differences are for worse: from health outcomes (starting with maternal and infant mortality) to access to health care, from determinants of health (poverty and education) to exposure to environmental hazards.

Nevertheless, the problems regarding rural health are there to be tackled and we are enthusiastically joining the global movements in this field.

One of these movements is recently being built around one of the most ancient territories of the planet, in the Mediterranean & Balkans as well as covering a very modern topic, political & economical transition.

Rural Health, being a crosscutting issue, needs to be approached and discussed by scientists of different disciplines, as well as relevant stakeholders. That’s why all organizers have been working to guarantee a critical mass of participants on this issue.

As one of the main organizers, at Institute of Public Health in Tirana we are making all the necessary efforts to assure that the event will be effective, fruitful and in the same time pleasant for all participants. We want to make certain that an appropriate atmosphere for discussion and exchange of ideas will be in place. Throughout our experience we have had the partnership of leading Italian centers in the field such as the Department of Occupational Health in the University of Milan and The International Centre for Rural Health of the San Paolo Hospital of Milan; they are further guarantees for achieving a successful congress.

In these days of communication and networking, another important objective we strongly hope the congress to achieve is strengthening of Mediterranean and Balkan networking in this field. This will give more voice to our common concerns and will assist a more effective transition to sustainable development.

Let me finally, express our gratitude to all of you who are deciding to participate and contribute. It is all of you together, who are our finest guarantee for success on this congress and issue at large.

Welcome to Tirana!

Alban Ylli
Director of IPH Albania
Tirana, Albania