Albania: migrant health guide

Main messages

If the patient is new to the UK:

• explain to them how the NHS works and their entitlements to healthcare
• discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
• follow guidance on how to comprehensively assess new migrant patients
• ensure that they are up to date with the UK immunisation schedule
• ask about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin

Due to an intermediate prevalence, consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly among those who have recently arrived.

There is a risk of typhoid infection.

Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.

Infectious diseases

Immunisation

Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up to date with the UK immunisation schedule. See the immunisation collection with current schedules.

Tuberculosis

There is a low incidence of tuberculosis (TB) (fewer than 40 cases per 100,000), so:

• routine screening for TB is not required
• consider testing in patients (including children) who show signs and symptoms
• be aware that TB is a notifiable disease

Sexually transmitted infections and HIV

Take a sexual history, and:

• screen for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
• test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia

There is a low rate of HIV (less than or equal to 1%), so offer and recommend an HIV test if the patient:

• falls into a high risk group
• is newly registering in a high prevalence area

Hepatitis B

There is an intermediate prevalence of hepatitis B, so:

• consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly those who have recently arrived
• offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
• immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive, and follow up accordingly
• be aware that the UK has a a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups

Hepatitis C

The prevalence of hepatitis C is higher than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C if other risk factors apply.

Typhoid

There is a risk of typhoid infection, so:

• ensure that travellers are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
• remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to or from this country

Travel plans and advice

Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin. People who travel to visit friends and relatives (VFR travellers) should visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for overseas travel advice and National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) for country specific travel advice prior to leaving the UK.

Women’s health

Reproductive health indicators

Reproductive health indicator	UK	Albania
Number of children per woman (lifetime average)	1.6	1.4
Use of contraception (by woman of reproductive age or partner)	71.7%	28.4%

Find out more about women’s health

Nutritional and metabolic concerns

Anaemia

There is a moderate risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence in non-pregnant women is 20 to 40%) and pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), so:

• be alert to the possibility of anaemia in recently arrived migrants, particularly women and pre-school children
• test as clinically indicated

Vitamin D

Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:

• darker skin
• those who are not often outdoors
• those who cover up most of their skin when outdoors

Vitamin A

There is a risk of vitamin A deficiency in Albania.

Country profile

Health indicators and health care

WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Albania.

Culture, politics and history

BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Albania.

Languages

Language	Population (%) (2011 estimates)
Albanian (official; derived from Tosk dialect)	98.8
Other (including Macedonian, Roma, Vlach, Turkish, Italian and Serbo-Croatian)	0.6
Greek	0.5
Unspecified	0.1

Source: The World Factbook.

Find out about language interpretation

Religions

Religion	Population (%) (2011 estimates)
Muslim	56.7
Unspecified	16.2
Roman Catholic	10
Orthodox	6.8
Other	5.7
Atheist	2.5
Bektashi (a Sufi order)	2.1

Source: The World Factbook.

Migration to the UK

There were over 68,600 people from Albania living in England and Wales at the time of the 2021 Census.