World Bank helps on internet at schools, health system

TIRANA, Dec 7 – The World Bank helped Albania with internet connectivity across the country’s schools through the Education Excellence and Equity Project (EEE-P) also funded by the Council of Europe Development Bank and the European Investment Bank, along with the Government of Albania.
The project has helped to supply computers and connectivity, building school computer labs, and enabling instruction in computer literacy.
This investment will help Albanian children to learn computer programs, to navigate the Internet, and to share and play with other children across the world. But, most importantly, this investment prepares them to compete in the global labor market of tomorrow, said World Bank official Jane Armitage.
ICT’s has helped countries to leapfrog in the development process, by moving directly to a globally-connected, information-driven, knowledge-based society.
Nations must put a high priority to building the capacity to effectively use these technologies in education, said Armitage.
She also encouraged the Ministry of Education and Science to, itself, use these new technologies, to strengthen the management of the sector itself, through the proposed new Education Management and Information Systems.
The World Bank also assisted Albania for the creation of the Intensive Care Unit at the Mother Tereza University Hospital Clinic for Infectious Diseases.
The Bank contributed the financing for this activity under the Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project.
The Project amount is US$ 6.8 Million out of which IDA US$ 5 M, PHRD Grant US$ 0.8 M and Government of Albania US$1 M.
The completion of the Intensive Care Unit is a very timely achievement of the Government as the Pandemic of H1N1 flu sweeps throughout the region, said Armitage at a ceremony.
That Intensive Care Unit was the first of its kind in the country and will be able to provide high quality care for patients with severe forms of the Pandemic Influenza and other serious contagious diseases.
It is one of the most modern in the region and has isolation rooms and modern equipment for successful treatment of contagious patients including the most severe cases of Influenza H1N1.
Establishment of such a modern facility presents an opportunity for this institution to take the lead in improving clinical management and control of intra-hospital infections in the country, said Armitage, urging local authorities to pay more attention to medical care.
A month ago Albania opened modern Virology Laboratory at the Institute of Public Health which was also upgraded with support from the Project. Now, Albania can successfully identify pandemic viruses and help establish accurate and prompt diagnosis at an early stage which is critical for successful treatment. This virology laboratory is now part of the European Influenza Surveillance Network for tracking flu diseases and is supported by the World Health Organization in Europe.
The World Bank project also supported the government to purchase 14,000 doses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu and will also support the purchase of H1N1 vaccine for most vulnerable groups.