Prime Minister Edi Rama says that the 2026 budget will cover drugs for the treatment of cancer patients for the first time.
During a speech to the residents of Unit 5 in Tirana, Rama said that cancer has become like the flu, in Europe but also in Albania. He said that there are times when he receives messages about people affected by cancer three times a week.
Rama also announced the establishment of a National Tumor Center, an institution that other countries also have.
"In all European countries, but also in Albania, cancer is becoming like the flu. There is not a week, or even three times a week, that I do not receive messages on the phone that a person in the family has appeared in their body. You have followed both oncological and political cancer.
But despite all the transformations that have been made, we have a real problem. The problem of covering the needs of cancer patients with reimbursable drugs. Why, because these drugs are expensive.
But just like in the family, where this disease rarely occurs. I know something about this from my personal life. Everyone has the obligation to do everything for the person. We also have three mandates, which means that every cancer patient should be and feel like our own person. So for the first time we have determined in the budget the coverage of cancer drugs for our people. We will also establish a national center for tumors, other countries have it too", said Rama.