Kurti calls for state policies that address the mental health of children and young people

The psychological well-being of children and young people must have an important place in state policies, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said. At a roundtable on “Mental health,” organized by the Prime Minister’s Office together with UNICEF, he said discussions about Kosovo’s future and the development of its human capital could not overlook this issue.

During the discussion, Kurti referred to the report “Mapping mental health and psychosocial support services for children and young people in Kosovo,” presented in August. The document was prepared by UNICEF in cooperation with the Institute of Psychology at the University of Pristina.

According to the prime minister, the report not only describes the situation but also offers recommendations for improving mental health services in Kosovo.

Kurti called for the identification of challenges to be followed by concrete steps. He explained that, after the report was presented, he had asked UNICEF for another meeting to jointly review the findings, discuss the recommendations in depth and determine what actions the state should take to advance the mental health agenda.

He stressed that the meeting should help turn data into action. With a document that helps clarify needs and difficulties, he said, it is up to institutions to decide where to focus their efforts, which measures to prioritize and how to build a more sustainable and accessible support system.

For Kurti, responsibility for mental health care cannot rest with a single institution or sector. He emphasized the need for coordination among different institutions and fields.

In this context, the prime minister linked mental health to health more broadly, the environments in which children learn, the families in which they grow up, the social and health services that support them, their safety, the communities in which they live and the opportunities created for them. He explained that these connections had brought representatives from different institutions and sectors together at the roundtable, and called for a response that is as integrated as possible.

Speaking about the government’s work during its term, Kurti listed child benefits, support for new mothers, an early intervention program for children with disabilities, and opportunities to empower and employ young people.

He also highlighted improvements in child survival. According to Kurti, neonatal mortality has fallen by 27 percent since 2020, while children’s participation in early childhood education has more than doubled.

The government’s aim, Kurti said, is to create a system that does not limit itself to responding during crises but invests in prevention, identification and early support beforehand.

He described a system in which children, young people and their families know where to seek help and can receive appropriate support at the right time. To achieve this goal, Kurti called for careful consideration of ways to strengthen cooperation among health care, education, social services, justice and other sectors, as well as to increase professional capacity. He also stressed the need to make support accessible to children and young people, regardless of where they live or where they need it.