Project Summary

Healthier Kosovo 2 is a continuation of the HK (2017-2020). The project aims to reduce the environment-related disease burden on the Kosovo population’s health and support the transition to a more resilient society in the face of environmental health threats, including air pollution, COVID-19-related waste in health facilities, and climate change impacts on health. The project will support Kosovo institutions to have effective governance in environment and health with inclusive evidence-based planning, implementation, and monitoring of air pollution impacts on health as well as support women and men to adopt behaviors that are healthy and that increase resilience to potential threats from environmental pollution.

Goals

The project objective is to contribute to the reduction of the environment-related disease burden on population health and catalyze follow-up activities. This will be achieved through the provision of technical assistance and capacity development to the institutions relevant to environment and health issues thereby accelerating the legal implementation. The project also focuses on capacities and strengthening of awareness of local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to be able to influence policymaking through innovative solutions.

Expected outcomes/outputs

• Exposure to air pollution and climate-related health threats is reduced through improved institutional capacities and public awareness.
• Health threats from medical waste are reduced through updated waste management protocols, safe waste collection and segregation, and improved capacities of relevant institutions and Health Care Workers (HCW).

Achieved Results

• Development of a digitalized system for KHMI (Completed)
• Development of Local Air Pollution Reduction Plans (LAPR) for two municipalities (Completed), while three are under finalization.
• Development and implementation of Behavioral Insight Study – Policy Solution (Completed)
• Outreach and Public awareness campaigns (Climate fresco workshops, Theatre performance, Heat Wave, and Earth Days Completed, while the ecokosovo#4 and crowdfunding trees are planned for this year (in progress)
• Health Impact Assessment of air pollution published by Health Institutions (in progress)
• Co-design of prototype solutions to reduce air pollution (in progress)
• Support CSOs in developing and piloting their projects on addressing environmental pollution, research, and advocacy (in progress)
• Assessment of indoor air pollution impact on health (Completed)
• Support the University Hospital and Clinical Service of Kosovo (HUCSK) in developing waste management protocols (Completed)
• Awareness-raising activities on how to reduce health threats from medical waste. (In progress)
• Establish a safe waste collection and segregation in the UCCK (merged with the support on protocol and training development).


Status:
Active

Time Frame:
Two Years – until 31 December 2023

Where:
Kosovo wide

Focus Area:
Climate Resilience

Beneficiaries:
Central and local level institutions, communities, young women and men, CSOs, and Health Care Workers (HCW).

Partners:
Kosovo institutions (Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure and Ministry of Health)

International partners:
United Nations Development Program (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Volunteers (UNV)

Donor(s):
The Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Budget:
970,000 EUR

Contact:
Enisa Serhati
Inclusive Growth and Climate Resilience
Portfolio Manager
enisa.serhati@undp.org
Phone: +383 (0) 38 249 066 (Ext. 311) 
Mob: +383 49 117 575

Zana Shabani Isenaj
Project Coordinator
zana.shabani.isenaj@undp.org
Phone: +383 (0) 38 249 066