Georgia

ABSTRACT Two multicountry Global Fund grants in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, for TB and HIV, were approved in December 2018 by the Global Fund Board, for a total of $18 million. Implementation began on 1 January 2019, but there is lingering concern among applicants regarding the effectiveness of the competitive approach prescribed by the Global Fund for the application process. A member of one of the applicant organizations, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, reports on some applicants' concerns.

ABSTRACT In a 'proactive' investigation, the Office of the Inspector General uncovered some deficiencies in the Global Fund’s processes for procuring HIV rapid diagnostic test kits, between 2014 and early 2017, in eight countries including Georgia, South Africa and Uzbekistan. The focus of the investigation was on the Global Fund's quality assurance processes, not the Principal Recipients.

ABSTRACT The Georgian Harm Reduction Network is hailing a new law that overturns the requirement for emergency personnel to notify police when responding to possible drug overdose: a step they consider crucial towards decriminalizing drug use in the country.

ABSTRACT The goal of the Georgia Transition Plan is to ensure a smooth transitioning to full domestic funding of its HIV and TB programs by 2022 without compromising services. However, the plan does not specify which services the government is taking over or when.

ABSTRACT This article provides information about how the research of the clinical protocols for opioid substitution therapy supported by the Global Fund, contributes towards sustainability of harm reduction programs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

ABSTRACT In Georgia, the government supports opioid substitution therapy programs at the same time as it enforces repressive drug policies and laws on the use of illicit drugs. Activists have been using human rights arguments to convince the government to change its repressive policies. In this commentary, Tinatin Zardiashvili argues that a public health and harm reduction approach might prove more effective.

ABSTRACT The new National Platform for Drug Policy in Georgia brings together 33 entities representing NGOs providing services, other civil society organizations, unions, research organizations, and drug user community groups.

ABSTRACT Georgia’s HIV and TB concept notes are hewing closely to priorities identified by the country’s national strategic plans but must improve case detection rates, recent WHO evaluations noted.

ABSTRACT Georgia is fast approaching its self-imposed deadline to submit concept notes for HIV and TB grants under the new funding model (NFM). The CCM has organized a civil society forum and stakeholders' consultation workshop to revise the national strategic plans.

ABSTRACT Georgia has announced a change in principal recipient for HIV funding and is overhauling its country coordination mechanism, ahead of work to prepare its concept note under the new funding model.