Kosovo’s Health Promoting Hospitals Network Advances Shared Priorities

Strengthening patient education, supporting healthcare providers and embedding health promotion in everyday care were central priorities discussed at the coordination meeting of Kosovo’s Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) Network in Prishtina on 22 October 2026. Representatives of the Ministry of Health, hospitals, primary healthcare and civil society met to review progress and explore practical steps towards expanding the network.

“The network started with two hospitals and now includes primary healthcare. Our aim is to turn these initiatives into routine practice,” said Besa Balidemaj, Ministry of Health (MOH) Department for Strategic Health Planning. She highlighted the MOH’s role in monitoring the action plan and coordinating implementation with the IHS project.

Self-assessments facilitated by IHS in five more general hospitals identified foundations to build on, including focus on patient-centred care, smoke-free policies and continuing professional education. Prishtina’s Main Family Medicine Centre also presented its journey towards HPH membership, highlighting dedicated spaces for patient education and counselling, and stronger linkages across the levels of healthcare.

“The network is a platform for working together. We need to identify priority standards and be clear about what we can achieve,” said Prof. Dr. Oliver Gröne, CEO of the International HPH Network. He also stressed the importance of staff health and wellbeing. Proposed next steps included translating self-assessment findings of five general hospitals into institutional action plans, defining responsibilities and using shared indicators to track improvement.