Health and Social Development

On March 11, Mission Director Jonathan Conly welcomed participants of the Georgia - U.S. Scientific Symposium "Integrating Science and Public Health in Georgia." The Symposium featured a variety of speakers from public health, academic and research institutions from Georgia, as well as from U.S and European universities and research institutions. USAID Mission Director Conly highlighted President Obama's Global Health Initiative and the U.S. Government's support for public health in Georgia. Mr.

On March 29 USAID presented a comprehensive package of new teaching materials to help meet the growing demand for a qualified Georgian workforce and individuals with expert skills in a specialized trade. USAID Deputy Mission Director Joakim Parker and Minister of Education and Science Dimitri Shashkin participated in the handover ceremony at the Ministry of Education and Science.

At a March 23 ceremony, USAID and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs noted the close-out of the TB Treatment and Control Project’s (TTCP) and recognized its contributions to limiting TB in Georgia. Since 2003, the $7 million TTCP has improved the quality of TB diagnostic and treatment programs in Georgia. With this support and the use of WHO-recommended indicators, Georgia’s National TB Program has better treatment-success rates, lower patient defaulting, and a higher quality of disease diagnosis.

Vocational Education Project graduates find work through partnerships

As part of an ongoing attempt to assist vocational education centers (VEC) by developing and improving public-private part-nerships, USAID’s Vocational Education Project established a strong collaborative relationship with a company that helped nearly forty VEC graduates find jobs.

Miranda, an eleven-year-old girl with a cerebral palsy from birth, lives with her parents and older siblings in Gvankiti village in Georgia’s Imereti region. The family lives in extreme poverty and until recently, struggled to provide adequate care for Miranda’s special needs.

On February 11, USAID Mission Director Jock Conly attended a presentation of the vision and strategy for Georgian Health Management Information System, by the Ministry of Labor Health and Social Affairs (MOLHSA) with support USAID’s Health System Strengthening Project (HSSP). Experts presented to public and private stakeholders the strategy for the development of Georgia’s Health Management Information System (HMIS).

On December 3, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Kent Logsdon joined Georgian government officials and national and international organization representatives for a conference to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.