28 November 2013 | Tirana, Albania [Beatrice C. Kastrati tedNEWS] On Tuesday, November 5th, ADRA Albania launched the regional project ‘Love Your Heart: Adriatic Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention Network’ with the financial support of IPA (Instruments for Pre-Accession to EU) – Adriatic Cross Border Cooperation Programme. The ‘Love Your Heart’ Centre aims to decrease and to prevent the incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Albania. To achieve this objective, the project aims to develop cardiovascular prevention programmes which are suitable to the local culture of Albania. The activity was hosted by ADRA Albania at the ADRA Health Centre, which was inaugurated in 1997 by the famous British actor, Sir Norman Wisdom, and was re-opened in 2010.
In the upcoming months, the ADRA Albania Health Centre will offer free trainings, seminars and courses for all citizens in Tirana about healthy lifestyle, stress relief, weight reduction, and the monitoring and fighting of important cardiovascular risk factors. Services offered are rehabilitation and physiotherapy, medical services and support and advice.
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More than 40 participants representing public, local and national institutions, civil society organizations, international organizations, and members of the surrounding community of the ADRA Health Centre, as well as members of the Roma community were present in this activity.
The opening speech was given by deputy Minister of Health, Ms Milva Ekonomi who underlined the importance of the prevention and awareness of cardiovascular diseases, which are the main sources of mortality in Albania and in the world.
Ms Etleva Bisha, General Director of Social Services in Albania, congratulated and complimented ADRA Albania for the initiative in launching the project and in opening the ADRA Albania Health Centre.
A courtesy speech was also given by the Chairman of the Board of ADRA Albania, Pr. Leo España, who congratulated ADRA Albania for the work done so far and expressed his wish in seeing the project achieve all the stipulated results.
The final message was given by Ms Beatrice C. Kastrati, the Country Director of ADRA Albania, who thanked the guests and hoped for a further cooperation with all the actors as NGOs, international organization and public institutions operating in this field in order to achieve the prevention of cardiovascular disease in Albania through the promotion of healthy lifestyle.
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Participants also took the opportunity to visit the newly reconstructed ADRA Health Centre and to learn about the services that ADRA Albania will offer in this centre.
ADRA Albania, the first non-for-profit organization that entered post-communist Albania, enjoys a high profile in Albania, appreciated by government bodies, the civic society, as well as their numerous beneficiaries. Apart from the ‘Love Your Heart’ Project, ADRA Albania is also simultaneously implementing other projects in conjunction with the Austrian Government/ADRA Austria, (‘Reflection! Action! Integration!’), Toms Shoes Inc., USA (massive distribution of donated shoes for unprivileged children), as well as ADRA Germany (‘Reflect Second Chance’), thus enabling tens of thousands of beneficiaries.
For more information about current and recent projects of ADRA Albania, please visit www.adra.al and www.neo.al. [tedNEWS]
tedNEWS Staff: Miroslav Pujic, director; Deana Stojkovic, editor
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