Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

Chapter 10: Human health and environment145Furthermore, the scope of pollution control measureshas been broadened to include several environmentmediatedfactors of public health relevance such aswaste, chemicals, POPs, radiation, noise andvibration in specific settings, and odours. Third,environmental monitoring is envisioned to cover notonly the state of the environment but also toencompass monitoring the impacts of environmentalpollution on human health. Fourth, the environmentalinformation system should integrate data on effectsof environmental pollution on human health.The PRTR, which is to be established in adherence tothe UNECE Protocol on PRTRs of the AarhusConvention, is an effective policy instrument forpollution control at the source and, at the same time,an information service on the emission of pollutantsinto the environment. This service is of particularhealth relevance as it provides important signals forpreventive actions on hazardous releases before theeffects on health have taken place, as, for example, inthe case of POPs.The new Law on Environmental Impact Assessmentdetermines the general requirements of an EIA,specifies the preliminary and profound assessmentprocedures and criteria for selecting projects andprogrammes subject to those assessments, the publicopinion and consultation process, the certification ofexperts and sanctions. An assessment is defined asthe establishment of the possible direct and indirecteffects of a given activity on the soil, water, sea, air,forest, climate, human beings, flora and fauna,landscape, material assets and cultural heritage,taking into account their mutual interrelations.However, the definition does not imply anyassessment of environmental health impacts.The 2009 Law on Public Health, No. 10138,introduced the public health sector reform andmodernization, in particular a shift from lengthy andcostly treatment to disease prevention, healthpromotion and action on health risks such as drinkingwater and air quality control. Essential public healthactivities within the system include: (a) monitoringpeople’s health status and trends in order to identifyhealth problems and risk factors, (b) strengtheninglaws and regulations for health protection ensuringthe relevant capacities, (c) preparing, planning andtaking relief measures in the face of public healthemergencies. Furthermore, environmental healthmonitoring and health and safety at work, publichealth information and epidemiological surveillanceare at the core of the public health services package.The Law on Public Health sets provisions forenvironmental public health policy measures alongthe four main axes: monitoring and assessment ofenvironmental impacts on health, preparation andcontrol of hygiene–health norms, implementation ofinterventions to eliminate or minimize the direct orindirect environmental impacts on health, andcitizens’ education on environment and healthprotection.The 2003 Law on Chemical Substances and Agents,No. 9108, regulates the management of chemicalsubstances and preparations for the protection of lifeand health of people and animals, as well as for theprotection of the environment from risks caused byhazardous substances. It is based on the GloballyHarmonized System of Classification and Labellingof Chemicals (GHS). A new law is planned to beprepared in 2012 following the EU REACHDirective. A further legal advancement in the field isthe recent transposition of the EU IntegratedPollution Prevention and Control Directive(96/61/EC).The 2010 Law on Safety and Health at Work, No.10237, transposed the relevant EU FrameworkDirective (89/391/EEC). It introduced new concepts,such as employers’ obligations regarding riskassessment, along with prevention and protectionmeasures, the services provided by external bodiesfor health protection and prevention of workplacesafety-related risks, and workers’ participation. Italso introduced a classification of accidents at work,depending on their consequences and the number ofpersons involved. This, along with the recentadoption of the European classification of economicactivities, should enable Albania to generate andreport key statistics on work-related injuries applyingharmonized approaches in the future.Institutional frameworkMoH, through its Department of Public Health, is thecentral institution responsible for determining,coordinating and directing public health policy. It issupported by the National Council of Public Health,an advisory body with the aim of securing a widerbackground for public health policies and thefunctioning of the public health system. The technicalsupport and information necessary for thedevelopment of national public health policies andstrategies is provided by IPH, which is subordinatedto MoH through the State Health Inspectorate.At present, the country’s infrastructure integrates 36public health directorates, 12 in each of theadministrative regions and 24 in LGUs, i.e.municipalities and communes. They provide publichealth services in the main strands of hygiene and