news_20251216 - Swiss

Launch of the Health Services Programme for the Prevention and Treatment of Addiction among Children and Adolescents

The Ministry of Finance, acting as the National Coordination Unit, participated in the launch event of the Health Services Programme – Increasing the Capacities for Prevention and Treatment of Addiction of Children and Adolescents in Romania, financed under the Second Swiss Contribution, held on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, in Bucharest.

The Ministry of Finance was represented by Ms Cosmina Manolescu, Director General and Head of the National Coordination Unit, who addressed the importance of strengthening the capacity of the public health system to respond to a sensitive issue with major social impact and long-term consequences for the population. Ms Manolescu also underlined the role of the National Coordination Unit in ensuring strategic coherence and sound governance of programmes financed through the Swiss Contribution, as well as the importance of inter-institutional cooperation and partnerships with international actors. The newly launched programme reflects an integrated, evidence-based approach grounded in good practices and institutional accountability, in which prevention, treatment and professional training are addressed as components of a single public policy ecosystem.

His Excellency Mr Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to Romania, reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to bilateral cooperation and to supporting interventions with systemic impact, built on expertise, knowledge transfer and strong partnerships.

Ms Luminița Odobescu, State Adviser within the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, reconfirmed the Romanian Government’s support for this programme, highlighting the strategic relevance of investments in prevention, mental health and the protection of children and adolescents, as well as the need for a coherent approach assumed at government level.

The UNICEF Representative in Romania, Ms Anna Riatti, emphasized the innovative nature of the programme and UNICEF’s intention to build on the experience and results achieved in Romania in order to develop replicable models and solutions that can subsequently be adapted and applied in other regions of the world facing similar vulnerabilities.

The event brought together representatives of the Romanian Government, the Embassy of Switzerland, UNICEF, central and local public authorities in the health sector, as well as national and international experts. Discussions confirmed a shared understanding of the need for a coordinated intervention combining institutional capacity-building, improved mental health services and increased levels of education and awareness among children, adolescents and their families.

The programme aims to contribute to strengthening the resilience of the public health system and to protecting younger generations through sustainable measures that are tested and adapted to the national context, in full alignment with the objectives of the Second Swiss Contribution in Romania.