On March 31, 2008 a stakeholder workshop to introduce project goal and objectives, project components, main activities and project time-frame was held at the Hotel “Ambasadori”. The workshop was organized in the framework of the project “Establishment of evidence base for HIV/AIDS national program, by strengthening surveillance system”, funded by the Global Fund and implemented by Curatio International Foundation in partnership with Georgian Infectious diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Public Union “Bemoni” and association “Tanadgoma”.
Category: Other
-
The Global Fund Contracted Curatio International Foundation for Consulting Services
Curatio International Foundation was contracted for consulting services in the following three areas of operation and grant management support:diagnostic and remedial action planning in Global Fund grant countries facing implementation challenges;governance and oversight processes for Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs); analysis and documentation of case studies of innovative country partnerships that provide examples of best emerging practices or offer models to share among partners.
The purpose of these Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQCs) is to establish a mechanism through which the Secretariat can effectively and efficiently supplement its capacity to manage the risks of the grants, identify the challenges to implementation and oversight, and to document these and other grant processes and activities of note.
Task Orders will be awarded to the selected Contractors on an as-needed basis to provide the resources necessary to perform diagnostic analyses on grant implementation issues, such as program management and implementation capacity; financial budgeting, planning and reporting; procurement and supply management; and monitoring and evaluation. In the area of CCM Functioning, contractors will be asked to conduct workshops, facilitate restructuring efforts, or design assessment tools to support the effective governance role of the CCM.
These contracts have been awarded on a regional basis and Curatio International Foundation has won this IQC contract for Easter Europe and Central Asia region along with EPOS Health Consultants (Germany) and Emerging Markets Group (USA).
-
Regional Workshop on Rotavirus and Diarrheal Disease
On January 23-24, 2008 a Regional Workshop entitled “Rotavirus and Diarrheal Disease Control” was held in Tbilisi, Georgia. The workshop with 50 participants was sponsored by PATH and hosted by Curatio International Foundation.
The workshop brought together representatives from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EE/CA) countries, WHO, UNICEF, GAVI experts with aim to share the current evidence, and determine the level of interest, main needs/key priorities and concerns of the stakeholders. Several countries in EE/CA struggle with high rates of diarrheal disease (DD) morbidity and mortality.
among young children. The new interventions such as rotavirus vaccines, zinc treatment, and lowosmolarity oral rehydration solution (ORS), complement existing approaches and 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. Participants from the following eight countries of EE/CA region attended the workshop: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.Participants included leaders, representatives of various sectors involved in child health care, infectious disease surveillance and control, and immunization, including: officials from the Ministries of Health, public health officials, academicians in the fields of pediatrics and infectious diseases, local pharmaceutical companies, experts from donor organizations.Konstantine (Koka) Pruidze, Deputy Minister, (MoLHSA Georgia) Dr. John Wecker (PATH), and Dr. Ketevan Chkhatarashvili (CIF). The key presentations on an integrated strategy of DD control, child morbidity/mortality situation in the region with focus on DD, the current evidences regarding new control interventions including rotavirus vaccines, the rotavirus surveillance findings in the region and updates in the GAVI application process were made by Dr. John Wecker (PATH), Dr. Sanjiv Kumar (UNICEF), Dr. Liudmila Mosina (WHO), Dr. Robin Biellik (PATH), Dr. Ivone Rizzo (GAVI Alliance).
Representatives from each participating country presented information on the burden of DD in their countries, discussed existing control strategies and needs for their strengthening.Georgia in addition presented key messages of the National Strategic Plan developed by the experts group under the leadership of PATH and CIF. Priority areas, needs for improvement were identified during the workshop.
-
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.
-
Yale University Announced Selection of Leading Georgian Public Health Expert, Ketevan Chkhatarashvili, as a 2007 Yale World Fellow Yale University announced the selection of the leading Georgian health policy advisor, Ketevan Chkhatarashvili, the preside
Yale University announced the selection of the leading Georgian health policy advisor, Ketevan Chkhatarashvili, the president of Curatio International Foundation, an organization which is a pioneer of health care reform throughout the Caucasus, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa, as a 2007 Yale World Fellow.
The Yale World Fellows Program represents a unique initiative among U.S. universities and a core element of Yale’s commitment to be a leading global university. Aiming to build a worldwide network of emerging leaders and to broaden international understanding, the Program conducts a competition each year to select 18 highly accomplished early mid-career men and women from government, business, the media, and civil society organizations representing countries across the world for a 4-month leadership program at Yale. The Yale World Fellows Program has at its core three main goals: to provide advanced global leadership training to emerging leaders from a diverse set of fields and countries, to link these world leaders to each other and to Yale in a tangible way and to expand and deepen international understanding at Yale. The Program selection process is intense: the 18 World Fellows for 2007 were selected from a pool of 970 applicants from around the world. From August to December, the 2007 World Fellows will engage in a specially designed seminar taught by some of Yale’s most eminent faculty; take any of the 3,000 courses offered at the University; participate in weekly dinners with distinguished guest speakers; receive individualized skill-building training; and meet with U.S. and foreign leaders. In addition, all World Fellows, both past and present, are invited to a biennial Return to Yale Forum, where past and current Fellows meet to build a global network of world leaders as well as renew their ties to Yale. The next Forum will take place October 24–27, 2007.
Yale University is located in historic New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701, the University consists of 12 schools: Yale College, the four-year undergraduate school; the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; and 10 professional schools, including the Yale School of Medicine, the Yale Law School, and the Yale School of Music. Yale has a global reputation for training U.S. and world leaders – including four of the last six U.S. presidents.
-
Effectiveness of Supportive Supervision in Improving the Performance of National Immunization Program in Georgia
The project was funded by Cida/IDRC (Canadian International Development Centre; The International Development Research Centre) and implemented by Curatio International Foundation in collaboration with Toronto University. The duration of the project was July 2004 – March 2006.
The study objective was to document the effects of “supportive supervision” on the performance of the immunization program at the district level in Georgia.
The intervention package included: development of supervisory guidelines, district-level training, continuous supervision and support, monitoring and evaluation, and funding for Centers of Public Health to carry out the package of interventions (travel and communication costs). Supportive supervision, which was the focal point of the package of interventions, was based on introducing updated job descriptions with documented lines of supervision; improving communication lines and skills; introducing guidelines and tools for supervision, performance review and monitoring, and evidence-based action planning, all of which help health workers to improve immunization service delivery.
The effectiveness of the intervention package was assessed with a pre/post-experimental research design. The package of interventions was uniformly implemented in 15 districts selected randomly out of the nation’s 67 districts. Another 15 districts were selected to serve as controls. Measurements were assessed at the baseline and end of the one-year intervention. Quantitative, qualitative and postal surveys were used to collect the information and derive conclusions. Study revealed that significant improvements in the performance of immunization program occurred after implementation of the intervention. In contrast to control districts, intervention districts experienced a significant increase in DPT-3 coverage, decrease in contraindications rate, decrease in refusals rate, and decrease in vaccine wastage between baseline and follow-up stages. The intervention did not appear to have independently contributed to the relative change in service delivery outcome indicators.
-
Healthcare Reform in Georgia
Since the restoration of independence, reforming Georgia`s healthcare system was vital. The report looks at reforms implemented since early 90ies. It give a brief overview of heatlh situation in the Soviet union. Authors: David Gzirishvili, George Mataradze; 1998. Read the full version.
-
Final Report on Family Planning and Reproductive Health Assessment in Georgia
The overall goal of the assessment was to promote a development of the national policy on family planning in Georgia through provision of updated and reliable information about the family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) in the country. A panel of experts and a task force was created composing of top specialists in FP/RH in order to elaborate major FP/RH indicators, to design a survey, to develop a questionnaire and to analyze the obtained data. The survey covered 9 regions of Georgia. Face-to-face interviews were conducted from 7/9/96 to 22/9/96. The sample size was 1,440. Two types of questionnaire were used: one for males (~24 min.) and another for females (~39 min). The age for respondents ranged between 14 and 49.