TIRANA, Feb 11 /ATA/ – Albania now provides 98 social services across all municipalities, benefiting around 46,000 people, the Minister of Health and Social Protection Evis Sala said on Wednesday, announcing what she described as a historic 300 million euro funding package for 2026.
Speaking at an event titled “Social Fund 2026 – Guaranteeing the Sustainability of Welfare Services”, attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato and Minister of State for Local Government Ervin Demo, Sala said the expansion marked a tangible policy shift.
“Behind every social service there is a human story – children who find protection and care, women and girls who regain strength, families who realize they are not alone,” Sala said, adding that about 46,000 women, children, elderly people without care and persons with disabilities have benefited from services financed through the Social Fund.
She said that in 2019, when the programme was launched, only 14 services were available in 14 municipalities, mostly concentrated in large cities.
“Today, in 2026, there are 98 social services in all municipalities across the country and the dedicated budget is 6.5 times higher,” Sala said. “For the first time in its history, Albania is providing on-the-ground support with at least one service in every municipality, from the capital to the smallest local units.”
Despite progress over the past seven years, Sala said a new, more ambitious phase was needed to support the most vulnerable and ensure no one is left behind.
In 2026, the Social Fund will finance 14 new services targeting children and mothers in need, children and adults with disabilities, the elderly, women and girls who are victims of violence, and children without parental care, she said.
Sala said the services were developed in close partnership with local authorities, which will assume responsibility for their continued financing and delivery.
A 17% increase in the Social Fund’s budget and a 300 million euro package allocated to social care programmes for 2026 demonstrate the government’s commitment not only to expanding capacity but also to maintaining support for vulnerable citizens, she added.
Sala also thanked the EU delegation and UNICEF for their support.
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