The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Evis Sala, held a meeting with the President of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rocco Bellantone, to discuss concrete steps toward strengthening cooperation with the Institute of Public Health of Albania.

Enhancing laboratory capacities, strengthening surveillance systems for infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), advancing environmental health monitoring, and improving oversight of non-communicable diseases were the topics of the meeting. A shared priority is the implementation of the “One Health” approach to address AMR, alongside structured training programmes for young public health professionals.

The parties agreed to sign, in the coming weeks, the first cooperation agreement between the Institute of Public Health of Albania and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, marking an important step toward a strengthened scientific partnership and more resilient public health systems.

During her visit, Minister Sala also participated in an event on artificial intelligence in healthcare, attended by Italy’s Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, as well as Italian healthcare professionals and academics.

In her address, Minister Sala highlighted the role of multimodal artificial intelligence in integrating imaging, clinical, and genomic data to support more accurate diagnoses and data-driven decision-making. She also underlined Albania’s ongoing efforts to interconnect electronic health systems, enabling a transition from individualized care toward population-level health policies and interventions.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to implement the agreements stemming from the first joint intergovernmental meeting between Italy and Albania. Particular attention was given to the initial results of cooperation in oncology, including collaboration between the Institute of Tumors and the National Cancer Network.