USAID and UNICEF review results for the partnership initiative to prevent and respond to COVID-19 in Georgia

Tbilisi, Georgia, 15 November 2022. USAID and UNICEF summarized the results of their one-year partnership to support the Government of Georgia in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme was implemented from September 2021 to November 2022 and focused on provision of critical equipment and supplies to strengthen health services; improving infection, prevention, and control measures; addressing vaccine hesitancy and enhancing demand for vaccination; obtaining real-time data; improving water, sanitation and hygiene services and countering disinformation related to COVID-19 vaccination.

“The U.S. Government was among the first to step in and support Georgia at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. What we accomplished fighting the pandemic also has lasting benefits for the health of Georgians: modernized equipment for the National Immunization Program; safe drinking water in schools and clinics in Guria; doctors and nurses trained to deliver essential health services; and youth empowered to promote healthier hygiene. This is yet another example of 30 years of productive cooperation between the people of the U.S. and the people of Georgia," said USAID Mission Director John Pennell.

“We are grateful to USAID for their tremendous support as together we achieved impressive results to ensure children and families have access to health care, critical prevention mechanisms and information about COVID-19 and the related vaccination”, - Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.

“In partnership with Government and civil society partners we reached more than one million people and helped them to become more resilient and capable of coping with the impact of the pandemic “, Khalil added.

The project achieved the following results:

• Critical equipment and supplies such as 346 refrigerators and 500 cold boxes were procured and distributed to rural ambulatories across Georgia. A walk-in type of cold room was installed at the central level.

• 1,284 rural primary healthcare workers were trained to ensure effective management of COVID-19 pediatric cases in partnership with the Nursing Association.
• More than 1,200 facilities have access to communications platforms allowing for the receipt of updated protocols, training and remote consultations to support the management of COVID-19 cases.
• More than 31,000 health and non-health workers were trained in infection prevention and control topics. Around 94,700 children benefited from remote medical services/monitoring.
• Over 400,000 teachers and school personnel, healthcare workers, religious leaders, parents, and children were reached with information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination in partnership with Helping Hand and the Association of Immunization and Vaccinology. In partnership with the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, the interventions contributed to increasing the rate of vaccinated teachers from 9 per cent in August 2021 to over 76 per cent as of early 2022.
• 32 schools and 4 hospitals in Guria region have safe drinking water thanks to installation of water filtration equipment in partnership with Shalom Club Guria. Up to 5,000 students and teachers and 7,000 patients of the primary health care clinic benefited from the safe water in these facilities.
• 38,234 adolescents and youth reached with messages on safe hygiene practices, COVID-19 prevention measures and safe water and sanitation, in partnership with Helping Hand, Adjara Organization of Scouts Movement, Civil Society Development Center and Kant’s Academy.
• In partnership with the Communications Commission and the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, integration of media literacy into formal education has started.
• Over 800 young people, teachers and parents were trained on how to address disinformation around COVID-19 in partnership with Media Development Foundation and up to 70,000 young people were reached through digital platforms in partnership with Democracy Laboratory.