All activities were funded by the ECHO/ WHO TB Project

• A huge banner (6 meters/ 3 meters) was posted in the main square of Tirana advertising about the celebration for TB day, including the TB day logo: "TB treatment and diagnosis is free and accessible for all!" The banner will be posted for one week.
• 2,000 TB posters were sticked all around Tirana and the rural areas near Tirana.
• Special advertising signs for World TB Day were posted in the area of WHO Humanitarian Assistance office.

• For the first time in the history of Albanian parliament, a WHO team gave - in the plenary session - to each of the parliamentaries a package with information with regard World TB day, DOTS, TB Programme in Albania – achievement/constrains, where the decision makers can interfere. The chairman of the parliamentary session made a short statement with regard of the importance of TB Day.

All 80 parliamentaries attending the global session received the package.

For the first time, journalists were allowed to take photos from the parliamentary session for this kind of activity.

• A press conference was organized at the Ministry of Health, 10.30. The participants were: the Minister of Health – Dr. Leonard Solis, the WHO TB Medical Officer- Lucica Ditiu, the WHO liaison Officer- Vasil Miho, the National TB Programme Manager – Hasan Hafizi, The Health Programme Manager from ECHO – dr. Melita Petanovic.

There were invited journalists from all TV channels from Albania and from the 5 biggest journals from Albania. The press conference was broadcasted on all TV news journals on 23^rd March.

The journalists received a package of information special created for this day.

• The TB spot was broadcasted on 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th march on 2 television channels from Shkodra – the DOTS pilot project area.

Saturday, 24^th March were organized:

• A live talk show with questions and answers from population for 2 hours (between 9 –11 a.m) on Norba Albanian TV (broadcasting in Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo). There were invited NTP representatives from the Central Unit.
• Drawings exhibition with the theme: "TB diagnosis and treatment – free and accessible for all" – paintings and sculptures prepared by the students from the Art school – exposed in the main square of Tirana.
• Miss Albania – in the same area with the drawings exhibition, the special guest -miss Albania - together with students and members of the National Center for Health Promotion were distributing leaf lets in the general population. Miss Albania gave also the prizes to the winners of the drawings exhibition.
• Helicopter – the helicopter of the Minister of Health was flying above Tirana, Durres, Kavaja and Kruja – distributing 15,000 special created flyers.
• Special TB movie – in the evening of 24^th march, on "Norba" television, between 19.45- 20.45 was broadcasted a special TB movie for Albania. The movie shows what a TB symptomatic has to do in order to be diagnosed correctly, explanations about the TB treatment, diagnosis, shows DOT; it also comprises interviews with the NTP manager, the WHO TB Medical Officer, the Director of the Central Unit of NTP.

The movie was done with the collaboration of the staff from the DOTS pilot project Tirana and a real TB patient.

• Articles about World TB Day appeared on 23 and 24 march in the 2 biggest Albanian newspapers – "Shekulli" and "Gazeta Shqiptare".

Photos are available in the attachment.

Samples of flyers, posters, leaf lets and parliamentary package were sent via mail to your office.

The video tape with the TB movie is available on request on WHO Humanitarian Assitance Office – Albania, Tirana.

Special mention for the involvement in the organisation of the Day: WHO Liaison Office, Central Unit of National TB Programme Albania, National Center for Health Promotion, Minister of Health albania, Norba Television, R&T Advertising, Tirana Municipality.

"Special moments":

- under the big banner, in the main square was held a political meeting from one party. All televisions broadcasted the meeting and the funniest moment was when the image of the leader of the party appeared between the logo of WHO and ECHO and above his head was written:"24 mars World TB day! TB treatment and diagnosis is free and accesible for all! "

• the surprise and happiness of the men when Miss Albania was giving them leaflets about the TB day
• The students from Art school discussing about TB and how they learned about TB for using the information in their creations.

• The brainstorm meeting organized with one month in advance, involving all possible stakeholders was extremely useful.
• Involving from the beginning representatives of oficialities ( the municipality, the parliament, the MoH) the implementation is faster
• With a relatively small amount of money a lot of things can be done
• The most important thing is to want to do it!
• Do not give up after the first "No!"
• Involve students, children from school – they are willing to work and, in the same time, they learn about the theme that they have to use in their work!

Thank you for your time