Designup

Category: 2007

  • Development of a Strategic Plan to Strengthen Health Information System in Georgia

    Development of a Strategic Plan to Strengthen Health Information System in Georgia project was financed by the Health Metrics Network (HMN). The project started in April 2007 and was completed in March 2008.

    The aim of the project was to formulate a sound health information system and development of the strategic plan aligned with HMN standards. The project focused on assisting the Government of Georgia (GoG) in identifying and convening country stakeholders from health, statistics, and development agencies; assessing the current health information system using the HMN Toolkit; and composing a comprehensive, prioritized, and budgeted Health Information System Strategic Plan.

  • Customer Satisfaction Research Report on Corporate Health Insurance Released

    Curatio International Foundation releases report on Customer Satisfaction Research on Corporate Health Insurance. The report was supported by International Health Budget Monitoring Initiative of the Open Society Institute. The research prepared by the three experts of CIF (Marine Egutia, Natia Rukhadze, Tamar Gotsadze) looks at trends of insurance market, shares of insurance types and customer satisfaction. Georgian insurance market is young, though the rapid growth is apparent. Data prompted by the National Bank of Georgia proved 33 percent growth in 2009 compared with the year 2008. The Health insurance is the most popular and occupies 68.6 percent of market structure.

    The share of the insurance companies has increased since 2007 following the health financing reform launched by the Government of Georgia. The private insurance companies succeeded to attract substantial amount of state finances. Insurance of state program beneficiaries by insurance companies is being implemented in the framework of state assignments. According to 2008 year data, 18 percent of Georgian population is insured by the state. Along with this, there is a slow pace of corporate insurance development which is used by employees of public, private and non-governmental sectors. Retail insurance comprises 1 percent of market. 76 percent of the population is exposed to health risks.

    The study aims to explore satisfaction of corporate clients of insurance companies and develops recommendations for further polishing and improvement of corporate insurance services. The research revealed that there is a high share/percent of not insured employees in corporate insurance schemes. Financial accessibility is one of the most noteworthy barriers for joining the insurance scheme. Not all citizens having the will to use insurance have a guaranteed opportunity to get corporate insurance.

    Insurance product seems less attractive for those having the will to get insured. Insurance contracts are imperfect that often becomes the reason for customer dissatisfaction and finally leads to changes of services and vendors. Procedures for contract extension and update are complicated and have a negative impact on insured. Variety and multitude of insurance packages further complicates the process of vendor choice and decision making.

    At the end the report prompts possible ways for problem solving and offers valuable recommendations on how to make corporate health insurance better and raise customer satisfaction.

    Follow the link to view the full version of the report, policy brief and presentation.

  • Opportunities for Change-Presentation

    The presentation describes the importance of the pharmaceutical sector, factors conditioned development of the draft Bill on Changes and Amendments to the Georgian Law on Drugs and Pharmaceutical Activities, which has been passed by the Parliament of Georgia 10th of August, 2009 and became effective from October 15, 2009. The presentation also describes key concepts, recommendations rendered to the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs in 2007, including the information on which recommendations accepted and which of them ignored by the Ministry; The presentation also provides recommendations for further improvement of the legislation. Author of the presentation: Vakhtang Megrelishvili. Full version is available in English and in Georgian.

  • Strategic Plan for the Development of Health Information Systems in Georgia

    The purpose this document is to outline a strategy for the development of a Health Information System (HIS) in Georgia. The strategy is expected to be used by in-country stakeholders and international development partners to strengthen in a logical and practical way the Health Information Systems (HIS) bringing it up to international standards. If successful the HIS will contribute to evidence-based decision making in health policy area.

    The current work on the development of the strategic plan to strengthen HIS has been carried out within the framework of a grant made to Georgia by Health Metrics Network (HMN), which is a global partnership whose mission is to champion and facilitate better health information at country, regional, and global levels.

    Curatio International Foundation, a non-for-profit institution with on-ground experience in research and policy advice has been awarded the Grant to assist the Government and non-government stakeholders in the HIS development strategy design. View the document.

  • Calculation of Funds Spent by the State and Donors on TB Treatment and Prevention

    The purpose of this document is to estimate the costs incurred by the government and donors on tuberculosis prevention and treatment in Georgia in 2001-2005. The document does not address private spending of the population on tuberculosis, since there is no reliable information (household surveys) presently available on private household expenditure on the treatment of the disease. Expenditures of the Georgian government and donors on tuberculosis treatment and its prevention in Georgia for the period 2001-2005 were calculated by Curatio International Foundation for project, “Cooperation for the Transformation of Georgian Health Care System” (CoReform) funded by the USAID/Caucasus Mission. View the full version.

  • The research article on Household Catastrophic Health Expenditure-evidence from Georgia and its policy implications published in BMC Health Services Research

    On April 28,2009 the research article on Household Catastrophic Health Expenditure-evidence from Georgia and its policy implications was published on the online scientific journal BMC Health Services Research. The research undertaken by the highly qualified experts of Curatio International Foundation was funded by the organization itself. The study was based on the data of the Health Care Utilization and Expenditure survey conducted during May-June 2007 prior to preparing for new phase of implementation for the health care financing reforms. It aimed at quantifying extent of catastrophic household health expenditures, exploring its influencing factors and estimating fairness in Financial Contribution (FFC) index in Georgia to establish the baseline for expected reforms and contribute to the design and the fine-tuning of the major reforms in health care financing initiated by the government mid-2007. The research results show that in Georgia between 2000 and 2007 access to care for poor has improved slightly and the share of households facing catastrophic health expenditures have seemingly increased from 2.8% in 1999 to 11.7% in 2007. Follow the link to read the article.

  • Solution to Diarrheal Control in the NIS Region

    The project was implemented in the period of October 2007- December 2008 in partnership with National Center for Disease Control and Medical Statistics (NCDC), Ministry of Labour, Health, and Social Affairs (MoLHSA), and Pediatric Division of Tbilisi State Medical University, and with the financial support of PATH. The project aimed at enhancing Diarrhea Disease (EDD) Control Initiative in Georgia and carrying out activities in support of countries in the EE/CA region to implement their national diarrheal disease control plans.

    Several countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EE/CA) struggle with high rates of diarrheal disease morbidity and mortality among young children.

    These new interventions, rotavirus vaccines, zinc treatment, and low-osmolarity oral rehydration solution (ORS), complement existing approaches such as oral rehydration therapy (ORT), exclusive breastfeeding, and improved sanitation and hygiene, and will contribute significantly to meaningful reductions in morbidity and mortality in many countries. Introduction of these new interventions is hampered by a lack of awareness and diminished prioritization for diarrheal disease control. To overcome this, PATH has created the Diarrhea Disease (EDD) Control Initiative. The goal of EDD is to reprioritize diarrheal disease control at the country-level and develop or revise national diarrheal disease control plans to ensure rapid up-take of new prevention and treatment interventions, and to reinforce the use of established interventions.

    With this aim, under the leadership of PATH/CIF, national working group in Georgia developed the Strategic Plan to improve the control of DD in Georgia with focus on children under-5 for 2008-2010. The plan was presented in Tbilisi, Georgia on January 23-24, 2008 at the EURO/Central Asia Regional workshop “Rotavirus and Diarrheal Disease Control,” held in the frame of the Project. The workshop brought together 50 representatives from EE/CA countries, WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI to share the current evidence, and determine the level of interest, needs, priorities, and concerns of the stakeholders. Participants from following eight countries of EE/CA region attended the workshop: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz republic, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Participants included leaders and representatives of various sectors involved in child health care, infectious disease surveillance and control, and immunization.

    Other activities carried out in the frame of the project:

    Develop the National Quality Assurance Manual on Diarrheal Diseases for laboratory system. The Manual covers the following diseases: Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Escherichiosis, Campylobacteriosis, Cholera, Adenovirus, Non-Polio Enterovirus, Rotavirus, Norovirus infections, Hepatitis A, Amebiasis. The QAM is available on Georgian, English and Russian languages;
    Review and provide Recommendations on the National Breastfeeding Indicators;
    Inform local pharmaceutical manufacturers on the new treatment methods (new formulation ORS, zinc) by providing useful materials, assisting in contact building to facilitate appearance of new products at the local market;
    Incorporate the modern recommendations for Diarrheal Diseases control into the Family Medicine and Paediatrics Residency Program training curricula;
    Update the National Immunization Program financial management tool (cMYP) that enables to estimate and project costs of the Rotavirus vaccination introduction in the routine immunization calendar.

  • National Avian Influenza Surveillance Guidelines

    In 2007 two editions of the guideline were published within the framework of the project Strengthening Surveillance, IEC and Procurement Planning to address Avian Influenza in Georgia. The guidelines provide comprehensive recommendations addressed to the Georgian health system workers on how to promptly identify report, confirm, and classify potential cases of avian influenza in humans; analyze data; investigate and respond to the cases and outbreaks; improve other aspects of early warning system for humans. These guidelines are the most appropriate for the current and the next stages of pandemic preparedness (phases 3 to 4 of the World Health Organization [WHO] Pandemic Alert Period) and are designed primarily for health personnel working at the regional public health centers. In addition to general recommendations, the guidelines include specific sections devoted to the communication with the public infection control in health facilities.

  • Dr. George Gotsadze – CIF director and PATH board member presented “Hope for health in a weakened nation”

    Dr. George Gotsadze, Director of the Curatio International Foundation was invited to present findings at PATH about the human health story of the dissolution of Soviet Union, the political and socio-economic transition that has challenged a weak health care system, and the efforts to overcome these obstacles. The event took place at PATH headquarters, Seattle, USA, December 10, 2007.

    See presentation.

  • Natia Rukhadze – CIF Researcher at the Global HIV/AIDS Initiatives Network (GHIN) international workshop in Dublin, Ireland

    Natia Rukhadze, presented preliminary research findings of the study “Effects of GFATM on Georgia’s Health System Development” to the global stakeholders. The selected topic for the presentation was “Sustainability of GFATM program supported activities in Georgia”.

    The workshop, which was held from 19-23 November 2007 was organized by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and hosted by the RCSI in Dublin.

    GHIN is a network of researchers in 21 countries who are working together to explore the influence of global health initiatives for HIV/AIDS on countries health systems. GHIN is co-funded by Irish Aid (Irish Dept of foreign affaires) and DANIDA (Danish Ministry of Foreign Affaires).

    The five day Dublin workshop brought together representatives of 15 research teams conducting studies in 15 countries receiving global health initiative funding for HIV/AIDS control. The workshop also included the coordinating teams based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, as well as researchers from four other northern institutions.

    One day of the workshop (Thursday) included global stakeholders, and was hosted by Irish Aid. Stakeholders included representatives from the bilateral donors (Irish Aid, DANIDA, DFID and USAID), the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, PEPFAR, UNAIDS, WHO and civil society organizations (Open Society Institute and Centre for Global Development). The one-day meeting with stakeholders had the following objectives: a) to disseminate preliminary findings from the first phase of research to stakeholders and colleagues; b) to debate the policy implications of preliminary findings and the needs of stakeholders in relation to 2008 research priorities, advocacy and dissemination.