Anna Savinkina, La Roche, Chair of Healthcare Committee
As I look at the skyline of Tirana today, I don’t just see a city in construction; I see a nation in transformation. With the World Bank projecting a resilient 3.4% GDP growth for 2026, there is a palpable energy in our business community. We are no longer just preparing for the future; we are actively building it.
However, as we pave the way for our 2030 EU accession, we must ask a critical question: What is the most vital infrastructure for this journey? It isn’t just the roads or energy grids – it is the health and productivity of the Albanian people.
From Cost to Capital: A New Perspective
For years, healthcare has been viewed through the narrow lens of budgetary spending. At Roche, and within the AmCham community, we believe there is a more powerful perspective: healthcare as a strategic investment.Every Lek invested in a resilient health system is capital injected into our most valuable resource: our citizens.
Currently, Albania allocates approximately 2.8% of its GDP to public health spending, according to the European Commission’s 2025 Report. This is the lowest in the region and significantly below the EU average of 10%. That 10% benchmark reflects a mature economic model where health is treated as a primary driver of workforce productivity and social stability, rather than just a cost center, a commitment evident in top spenders like Germany (11.7%), France (11.5%), and Austria (11.2%). While Albania is at 2.8%, other countries in the broader region or those who recently joined the EU (like Romania and Bulgaria) range between 6% and 9%. To secure our 2030 economic vision, this 10% target must serve as a powerful “North Star” for the Albanian government and treasury as they align national policy with EU standards. We must transition to a system where health is recognized as the engine of productivity: improving care not only saves lives but protects the economy from the massive indirect costs of lost work and disability.
Closing the Gap: The Out-of-Pocket Challenge
A systemic hurdle highlighted in the 2025 EC Report is that nearly 60% of total health costs in Albania are paid out-of-pocket by citizens. Under Chapter 28 (Consumer and Health Protection) of the EU acquis, our goal is clear: we must move toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
By working together to reduce this direct burden, we unlock household wealth that can instead fuel domestic consumption and small-business growth. This isn’t about looking back at past difficulties; it’s about ensuring that a health setback no longer leads to economic hardship for an Albanian family.
The Double Dividend: Innovation as an Economic Multiplier
A groundbreaking 2025 Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe reveals a critical shift in health economics. While direct costs for innovative medicines have risen, they are increasingly offset by a massive reduction in indirect costs – the money lost to the economy when citizens can no longer work. According to research by the WifOR Institute, every 1 EUR invested in health innovations (including innovative cancer care) results in direct improvements in population health and yields more than double (2+ EUR) the return in economic benefits.[1]
This ‘double dividend’ occurs when early diagnosis meets innovative treatment:
- Productivity Gains: Between 1995 and 2023, the number of productive years lost to cancer declined by one-third across Europe due to earlier detection and the arrival of nearly 200 new innovative medicines.[2]
- Societal Value: A September 2025 EFPIA Analysis shows that advances in cancer care contributed €29.2 billion in societal health gains and added €53.7 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the European economy.[3]
Applying this shift in health economics requires focusing on the practical delivery of care. Regionalizing cancer care will improve access, reduce system strain, and deliver more patient-centered services. Combining early screening with timely access to innovative therapies is the fastest way to keep our working-age population active and reduce the strain on our hospital infrastructure.
Our Advocacy: A Roadmap to 2030
To bridge the gap to EU standards, AmCham is advocating for three fundamental pillars of partnership:
- Increased Investment: We must support a more robust healthcare infrastructure to provide the level of care expected in the EU and significantly lower the 60% out-of-pocket burden.
- Procedural Transparency & Digitalization: Modernizing our digital infrastructure is critical. By collecting data and measuring outcomes, we can prioritize and finance medicines that are not only life-saving for patients but also provide the highest return to the national economy.
2 Hofmarcher, T., Lindgren, P., Skånberg, C., & Jönsson, B. (2025). Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025: Disease Burden, Costs and Access to Medicines and Molecular Diagnostics. IHE Report 2025:2. Lund: IHE – The Swedish Institute for Health Economics.
3 Dolon. (2025). The Transformative Value of Cancer Medicines. White Paper commissioned by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). Published September 25, 2025.
- EU-Standard Access: We call for the alignment of medicine access with EU standards. Albanian patients deserve the same life-saving innovations as their neighbors in the EU
A Shared Vision for Prosperity
The journey to EU accession is a marathon, and it requires a spirit of partnership between the private sector and the government. Our message to policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the public is simple: A healthy Albania is a wealthy Albania. By prioritizing health today, the Government is doing far more than meeting technical requirements; it is fortifying our national resilience. We want Albania to join the EU not just as a participant, but as a robust, high-performing member ready for seamless economic integration and long-term prosperity. Together, we can ensure that Albania’s economic heart beats stronger than ever.