Remarks of USAID Mission Director, Edward T. Landau
Albanian Family Planning Project (AFPP) End of Project Conference
June 19, 2007

Mr. Minister,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this conference marking the successful conclusion of USAID’s Albanian Family Planning Project.

This two-year, $1.5 million project is a continuation of a 12 year, $15 million investment of the U.S. Government to protect and improve the health and survival of women and children in Albania.

USAID is committed to ensuring that women and couples in countries around the world have access to voluntary family planning services and are free to make informed decisions about their reproductive lives.

Access to good information and services can have profound health, economic, and social benefits for families and communities.

It protects the health of women and children by reducing high-risk pregnancies. It contributes to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases through providing information, counseling, and access to modern contraceptives. And it supports women's rights and opportunities for education, employment, and their full participation in society.

I am proud to say that in the last ten years, through USAID, the availability of modern family planning services has expanded from just a few health clinics in Tirana, to primary health care facilities in every district and every commune in Albania. This is a tremendous achievement and I would like to thank our partner, John Snow Inc. for their expertise and dedication to Albania’s development.

The U.S. Government’s investments in the health do not end here.

Through USAID programs, we are continuing to work in improving the delivery, quality and access of all Albanians to primary health care, as well as, support programs that stimulate economic growth, strengthen the rule of law, and assist Albania’s democratic transition.

USAID works in partnership with the Ministry of Health, and I would like to applaud your recent investments to support reproductive health and family planning. Sustained and increasing investments in contraceptive security play an important role in improving the survival and health of mothers, children, and families.

Let me once again offer my congratulations to the project staff, JSI, and the Ministry for the implementation of this project.

Your efforts have left an indelible mark on the health and rights of Albanian women, children and families.