Kosova

Sue Ryder Care - Ryder Kosova is the country's only palliative care service. 

It provides home-based care in and around the capital, Prishtina, to men, women and children.  So far over 1000 patients and their families have benefited from the care Ryder Kosova provides.

During the Kosova war in 2000, thousands of refugees were housed in Albania. Ryder Albania doctors and nurses volunteered to work with the sick, many of whom were suffering from cancer. This link between Ryder Albania and Kosova led to the founding of Sue Ryder Care in Kosova in 2001.  

The service's running costs are £67,000 a year and it does not receive government support, other than for drugs.

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On 17 February 2008, Kosova declared itself independent, and the British Government led the way in recognising Kosova's status as the world's youngest country.  The elation felt in Kosova was tempered by the knowledge of the challenges ahead. 

As Dr. Agon Mekaj of Sue Ryder Care - Ryder Kosova puts it:  "Kosova may now be independent, but we are a long way from securing a viable financial future for our palliative care work.  We are therefore very grateful for the continued support of our friends at Sue Ryder Care."

A priority for the future is to expand the service, ensuring that more people benefit, especially those living outside Prishtinë and in rural areas. Demand for our servcies is so high there is currently a waiting list for and we are unable to help everyone. We also hope to address the ethnicity issues. As Dr Gjikolli states, ‘health is the linking tool that can bring the people of different ethnicity together... as the burning issue in Kosova'. We need your support.

Find out more - download a factsheet

For more information about our work in Kosova email us or call +44 (0)207 4000 637.