Skopje, 3 September 2025 (MIA) - The World Health Organization’s first Country Cooperation Strategy with North Macedonia for 2026-2030 was promoted Wednesday in Skopje.

Health Minister Azir Aliu said the document represents a roadmap for the future of the country’s health system.

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Akeem Ali and the team of the WHO Office in the country for their continued support and partnership. Thanks also to the over 140 stakeholders from 11 ministries, public institutions, and civil society who actively took part in this process of setting a roadmap for the future of our health system. I would like to emphasize that, for the first time, such a strategy is fully aligned with our National Development Strategy, with the obligations from the EU accession process, and with the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework,” Aliu said.

In the coming period, Aliu said the Health Ministry will be dedicated to further strengthening and deepening partnerships with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, with a special focus on vaccination, as well as with UNFPA in the area of improving maternal and child healthcare.

“The Health Ministry continues to work actively on the main priorities: the process of digitization, transparency and accountability to the citizens, and a fair healthcare system that functions in the interest of the citizens, in which health will not be a privilege,” Aliu added.

The WHO Representative in North Macedonia, Dr. Akeem Ali, said that there had been some challenges for the country. However, he stressed that he sees a willingness among officials for the necessary reforms to be at the top of the agenda. 

Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Bozhinovska said the strategy was special because it is not limited only to the health sector.

"Today we are talking about the future of every citizen, about the quality of the air we breathe, about the world we will leave to future generations," Bozhinovska underscored.

Bozhinovska noted that the strategy comes at a time when the whole world is facing a dual challenge – the climate crisis and the need for sustainable energy solutions.

Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska said health is the foundation of the sustainable development of every country. Our goal, she added, is to build a resilient healthcare system based on equal access, prevention, digital transformation, and competent human resources.

"Education is, and will increasingly be, an active factor in building a healthcare system tailored to our citizens. Through strategic investments in health education, such as improving curricula, modernizing laboratories and practical training, supporting the continuous education of healthcare workers, and fostering cooperation with universities and healthcare institutions, the educational system has the obligation to prepare generations with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to recognize, understand, and effectively address health challenges," Janevska said. 

Minister of Social Policy, Demographics and Youth, Fatmir Limani, spoke about a joint commitment to build a society in which health and social protection go hand in hand.

"As a Ministry, we actively contributed to the creation of the WHO Country Cooperation Strategy, because we believe in concrete, integrated, intersectoral solutions. Our policies are aimed at combating poverty and social exclusion, with a clear goal: no one can be left behind," Limani emphasized.

Limani said the Ministry pursues policies for the people – "for the mother who cares for her children alone, for the pensioner in a rural village, for the young person struggling with anxiety, for the woman who has freed herself from violence."

"With this strategy, we are not only articulating our national priorities, but also creating an international alliance for justice, health, and equality," said the Minister.

Photo/Video: MIA