A NEGLECTED ZOONOSIS IN ALBANIA: WHY ECHINOCOCCOSIS IS BECOMING A SURGEON’S EXCLUSIVITY?

Echinococcosis is an endemic zoonosis in the Mediterranean area, with Albania interested actually to a level that is becoming a public health concern. Authors describe preliminary data from the only tertiary (university) medical facility of Albania, positioned in the capital of the country (Tirana), with 333 new cases diagnosed and treated during the period 2005 – 2011. Out of all these 333 new cases an impressive majority of 91% had a surgical treatment right from the first admission, rendering the disease almost a surgical exclusivity. Even more, 80% of all patients from the study group were hospitalized straightforwardly in surgical wards, with options of surgical intervention’s percentages outrunning figures from other sources and authors of the same geographical area. Such a situation, together with a very important level of patients’ origin from highly urbanized areas such as those of the capital, suggest the necessity of well-organized interventions, among which might be the mandatory notification of all human cases with Echinococcus infection

EVROPEANIZIMI I SHQIPËRISË DHE MAQEDONISË SË VERIUT: NJË ANALIZË KRAHASIMORE E PERIUDHËS 2000-2019

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the field of Europeanisation and European Integration in the Western Balkan, as the potential region to join the European Union. For this purpose, Albania and North Macedonia were used as case studies to measure the progress of Europeanisation through the policy adaptation process in these two countries, from 2000 to 2019. Following this approach, the thesis has developed the main research question: 1) Has the Europeanisation regarding the policy adaptation been reached out on same levels in Albania and North Macedonia during the period 2000-2019? Consequently, the thesis developed the following hypothesis: 1) While Albania and North Macedonia are found at the same stage of the Accession process by the year 2019, it doesn’t neccessarely make the case for the both countries to have the same results regarding policy adaptation in the whole spectrum of the Accession criteria. The thesis employs a comparative analysis based on the “Small-N” case-based approach, aiming to find the similarities and differences in 3 (three) indicators: 1) Political System; 2) Judiciary; and 3) Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation. These indicators are assessed on their Europeanisation progression based on the “three-degree approach” of policy adoption (verbal, legal, and substantive) based on the work of Elbasani (2013). Through this research design, the thesis provides a new approach in the application of the Europeanisation literature in the context of the candidate countries and beyond. In particular, the use Elbasani’s (2013) three-degree level of policy adoption measurement in iii the practice on measuring the Europeanisation on concrete countries through the use of a comparative analysis. The results of the analysis indicate that the Europeanisation of the policy adaptation process in Albania and North Macedonia has been tumultuous and at approximate levels of difficulty but retaining particular differences. In the political system, the most distinctive differences are reflected by their political composition and political maturity. In the Judiciary, the most distinctive differences are reflected by the extension of reforms in this sector and the efficiency of the system. Lastly, in the Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, the most distinctive differences are reflected by the bilateral relations established with the neighbours. Overall, both countries have shown to progress over the years, by addressing several issues, however, considering that North Macedonia has resulted to reach out the EU accession milstones quicker than Albania, and in parallel also the Europeanisation in two of the three variables, it may indicate that it will move at the similar pace even during the accession negotiations phase but taking into consideration that the solving of the issue with Bulgaria will play a role prior to the singing of the accession Treaty. In conclusion, the results serve as reference points that can be useful to predict the dynamics regarding the said indicators of the Europeanisation of these two countries. However, the approach taken for the comparative analysis cannot be considered as the sole model to assess Europeanisation

The Europeanisation of Good Neighborly Relations and Regional Cooperation Criteria: A Comparison between Albania and North Macedonia

Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation demand that all the bilateral relations of a country be stable and that all the disputes are to be resolved before the signing of the Accession Treaty. Considering that Albania and North Macedonia are two candidate countries which are found at the same stage of the EU Accession, and the weight that such criteria hold for these countries, it is necessary to provide an assessment of their preparation in this regard. The EU studies field provides for the use of Europeanisation literature to measure the fulfilment of the Accession criteria, one approach of which is measuring the policy adoption. For this purpose, Albania and North Macedonia were used as case studies to measure the progress of Europeanisation through the policy adaptation process as regarding Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation during the period 2000-2019

Factors affecting the prognosis of Albanian adult patients with generalized tetanus

Background. Despite systematic vaccination of the population, tetanus continues to be a health problem in Albania, as in some other developing countries. In this study, our intent was to evaluate prognostic factors relating to death in adult patients with generalized tetanus. Methodology and patients. All the patients (60) included in the study were hospitalized at the regional hospitals of Shkodra and Korça, and the University Hospital Centre “Mother Theresa” of Tirana, Albania, during the period of 1984-2004. They had a mean age of 49.1+14.4 years, 43 (71.7%) were males and 40 (66.6%) of them lived in rural areas. The mean incubation period was 12 days and the case-fatality rate (CFR) was 38.3%. Results. The CFR in patients with an onset period ≥2 days was 21.7% and in those with 50 years old had a CFR=60.87% (OR=7, p 120 beats/min, and hypertension. Discussion. The main prognostic factor of those analyzed in our study appeared to be the onset period and the age of the patients. We didn’t find significant differences in CFR in patients with different incubation periods. Clinicians must take into account that wound complication and localization, tachycardia and hypertension, high fever, male gender and urban residency significantly influence the prognoses of adults with generalized tetanus