Designup

Category: 2012

  • Health Insurance for Poor: Georgia's Path to Universal Coverage

    The study assesses the impact of Medical Health Insurance (MIP) for the Poor on equity in access to essential health care services and financial protection against health care costs for the poor and general population. The document briefly describes identified accomplishments and shortcomings of the public private partnership in realization of MIP and discusses emerging policy options and policy recommendations on the future of MIP.

    The study was financially and technically supported by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research/World Health Organization and carried out by Curatio International Foundation.

    View the Policy Brief-Medical Insurance for the Poor: impact on access and affordability of health services in Georgia

    View the Policy Brief- Health Insurance for the Poor in Georgia, Content, Process and Actors

    Read the Full Study Report- Health Insurance for Poor: Georgia’s Path to Universal Coverage

     

  • Submission of Applications for CIF Scholarship for Master Program Students near to deadline

    The deadline for submission documentations for CIF web site is approaching to deadline, June 15.

    Master program students of Public Health Management or BA with focus on Public Health management from accredited universities in Georgia are encouraged to participate in the scholarship program for 2012-2013 years.

    Description is available in Georgian.

  • Health care in Georgia is currently available for very rich and very poor

    As the lead key informant to the policy brief on Medical Insurance for the Poor: impact on access and affordability of health services in Georgia says, the “health care in Georgia is currently affordable for very reach and very poor”. This conclusion grounds on the findings of the study that explored one of the most critical issues- affordability of health care services in Georgia. The matter is among top five most important national issues for a large part of the Georgian population. Medical Insurance for the Poor (MIP), a public program initiated in 2007, provides private insurance coverage to one fifth of the Georgian population and is aimed to protect its beneficiaries from financial hardship and impoverishment that may be caused by health care expenditures.

    The study assessed the impact of Medical Health Insurance (MIP) for the Poor on equity in access to essential health care services and financial protection against health care costs for the poor and general population. The document briefly describes identified accomplishments and shortcoming of the public private partnership in realization of MIP and discusses emerging policy options and policy recommendations on the future of MIP.

    The study was financially and technically supported by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research/World Health Organization and carried out by Curatio International Foundation.

    Read the full version of the Policy Brief here to find out more on key findings, achievements and policy recommendations.

    Read the full study report.

  • Presentation of the findings of Assessment of Complex Non-Communicable Condition in Low Income Countries

    Use of Multi-Method Rapid Evaluation to Assess Complex Non-Communicable Condition in Low Income Countries

    At Geneva Health Forum 2012 Curatio International Foundation presented a study preliminary findings which looks at evaluation of health systems performance in low-resource settings with regard to diabetes management. With the use of multi-method rapid evaluation the authors assess complex non-communicable condition (diabetes) in five Former Soviet Union countries.

    The study seeks to identify core problems and pragmatic policy options will be developed to address these gaps. The study is implemented in the frame of the 7th framework program supported HITT-CIS project.

    Authors: Dina Balabanova, Martin McKee, Ivdity Chikovani, Oksana Ivanuto. Presented by Ivdity Chikovani

    See the abstract here.

    See the Newsletter.

  • Poster Presentation at Copenhagen 2012 Conference on HIV

    Curatio International Foundation presented two posters at Copenhagen 2012 Conference- HIV in Europe.

    One of the posters presented results of Bio-Behavioural surveys among Injecting Drug Users in five cities of Georgia in 2008-2009 and specifically explored Low testing uptake and their determinants among this high risk group in Georgia. Authors: Ivdity Chikovani, Ketevan Goguadze, Natia Rukhadze, George Gotsadze

    The poster was presented in the session – Lessons learned in the implementation of HIV testing strategies for IDUs.

    Another poster addressed issues around late diagnoses for HIV care. The National HIV/AIDS database for 2000-2010 was analysed and characteristics of high risk groups for late diagnosis in Georgia were identified. Authors: Ketevan Goguadze, Ivdity Chikovani, Natia Rukhadze, George Gotsadze

    The posters can be seen at the HIV in Europe web site:

    Low testing uptake and their determinants among IDUs in Georgia

    High risk groups for late HIV diagnosis in Georgia

  • Contributing to publishing the paper: Circus monkeys or change agents? Civil society advocacy for HIV/AIDS in adverse policy environments

    Curatio International Foundation has contributed to publishing the paper that explores the factors enabling and undermining civil society efforts to advocate for policy reforms relating to HIV/AIDS and illicit drugs in three countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. The paper was published on the world’s leading scientific papers’ source Sciencedirect.com in the rubrics: Social Science and Medicine.

    The paper looks at political contexts and explores how the civil society actors’ strengths and weaknesses inhibit or enable advocacy for policy change – issues that are not well understood in relation to specific policy areas such as HIV/AIDS, or particular regions of the world where national policies are believed to be major drivers of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The study is based on in-depth interviews with representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) (n = 49) and national level informants including government and development partners (n = 22).

    Development partners and government tend to construct CSOs as service providers rather than advocates. While some advocacy was tolerated by governments, CSO participation in the policy process was, ultimately, perceived to be tokenistic. This was because there are financial interests in maintaining prohibitionist legislation: efforts to change punitive laws directed at the behaviors of minority groups such as injecting drug users have had limited impact.

    Read the full paper online or download PDF.

  • Paper on Prevalence of HIV among injection drug users in Georgia published on Journal of International Aids Society, 2011

    In February 15, 2011 the Journal of International Aids Society Published the paper by CIF on Prevalence of HIV among injection drug users in Georgia.

    Georgia is categorized as a low-HIV-prevalence country. According to the national HIV registry data, there has been a sharp increase in newly diagnosed cases since 2004, with a steady increase since 2008. Annually, almost half of the newly diagnosed cases are revealed at the AIDS stage of disease. There is regional heterogeneity in HIV prevalence with higher rates in the capital (Tbilisi), regions bordering Turkey, and in the conflict zone of Abkhazia. Injection drug use remains a major risk factor for HIV transmission. In 2009, more than 70% of new HIV infections were attributed to injection drug use or sexual contact with an injection drug user.

    Drug abuse and its related health and social consequences are critical challenges facing Georgia. As a bridge between Europe and Asia, Georgia and other south Caucasian countries serve as a drug trafficking route into Russia and Europe. The conflict regions may also have conditions that support drug trafficking. No reliable estimates on the extent of drug use in Georgia currently exist

    Since the Injection drug use remains a major risk factor for HIV transmission in Georgia authors of the study aimed to characterize the prevalence of HIV among injection drug users locally.

    To assess the knowledge and behavior in injection drug users a cross-sectional, anonymous bio-behavioral survey in combination with laboratory testing on HIV status was conducted in five Georgian cities in 2009. A snowball sample of 1127 eligible injection drug user participants was investigated.

    Read the full paper at Journal of International Aids Society web site.

  • Bio Behavioral Surveillance Survey with biomarker component among HIV/AIDS risk groups, identifying the number of injective drug users (IDU), operations survey, 2012

    The project was implemented with financial support from Global Projects Implementation Center.

    The project “Behavioral Surveillance Survey with biomarker component on HIV/AIDS in high risk groups, identifying the number of injective drug users, operations survey” aimed at creating credible/valuable source of information which will serve as the evidence for planning national programs on HIV/AIDS and assessing national response.

    In terms of targeting HIV/AIDS risk groups the objectives of the project was as following: a) Conducting bio-behavioral surveillance surveys among high risk groups, b) defining the number of injective drug users and c) conducting operations survey. All these objectives served the goal of identifying barriers that impede injective drug users to receive counselling and testing services.
    Behavioral surveys with bio-marker component among high risk groups took place within the time frame set by the HIV/AIDS National Plan among IDUs, prisoners, commercial sex workers and men who have sex with men (MSM).

    The following serways were implemented:

    The project was implemented by the Curatio International Foundation, National Center for Desease Control and Public Heatlh, public union “Bemoni” and Medical-Psychological Association “Tanadgoma”.

  • CIF Calls for participation in internship program for 2011-2012

    Curatio International Foundation launches its internship program for 2011-2012 years and invites interns from around the world who are studying at masters or Ph.D. level and who are interested to have first-hand experience in the real-life setting and to contribute to the research projects implemented by the organization.

    Since 2002 CIF has hosted number of students from world’s leading universities such as Johns Hopkins, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Yale etc.

    Timing of the Internships

    – Winter interns (December through February) from 2 to 6 weeks
    – Summer interns (June through September) from 1 to 4 month

    Terms of the Internships

    This is non-paid internship although CIF provides following to the interns:

    – Office space and access to internet communication and office equipment;
    – Access to on-line library with more than 8,000 information resources and in 30 different languages

    For interns outside Georgia:
    – Internship coordinator, who provides continuous guidance around the research topic and support to an intern during their stay in Georgia and after their departure, during scientific paper preparation;
    – Logistical support prior to arrival to Georgia and during their stay, which includes following but not limited to: acceptance letter to facilitate obtaining travel grants from different donors, support for accommodation in Tbilisi-Georgia, guidance for travel, etc.
    – Block grant in the amount of 500 USD.

    The Benefits to Interns are:
    – Ability to apply knowledge and research skills on practice and satisfy project requirements at their school;
    – Contribute to and be one of the authors of a scientific paper published in a peer reviewed journal with high impact factor;
    – Interact with the professionals continuously involved/contributing to policy making process;

    Read the full description of announcement to obtain full information on application process and research topics for 2011-2012 years.