The Chair of the Health Care and Social Issues Committee, Dimitri Khundadze met with the Head of WHO Georgia Office, Silviu Domente and WHO experts to discuss the healthcare state in the country, especially against the pandemic, to estimate the challenges Georgia encounters and outline the future cooperation plans.

Recently, WHO renders significant technical and practical aid to Georgia in the healthcare sphere, serving for the vital interests of the population. By WHO technical aid, Georgia managed to successfully undertake the tobacco control reform and as the parties estimated, WHO holds the intermittent surveys and according to the latest data, tobacco use is reduced in Georgia, especially amongst the minors.

By close communication with WHO, Georgia develops the pharmaceutical reform, which has been jointly planned a couple of months ago inasmuch as the current law is outdated and has not been amended since 2009. The bill on Medicine and Pharmaceutical Activity was developed by the Committee in cooperation with the WHO experts and local field specialists.

As D. Khundadze noted, the Committee aims at initiation of the bill within the 9th Term – it is the model of the program and may be considered with the I reading. As the guests noted, WHO gives a high estimation to this reform.

“It is a tradition that the Healthcare Committee cooperates with WHO and its Georgia Office. We hold periodic meetings to estimate the process and plan further activities. Same was with COVID-19 where at the first stage, prior to declaration of the pandemic, we jointly planned the further steps and today, we enjoy the positive outcomes in countering the pandemic and it is as well recognized by WHO and its Georgia Office. However, we need to get prepared for the second wave and along with other countries, Georgia will be through this path. Today, we estimated the situation in Georgia and the world, planned our further steps. WHO pledged to render aid to Georgia, including in terms of cargos – initial individual protection means, medical equipment etc. and I would like to thank them for the support”, - D. Khundadze noted.

According to him, the Committee will further cooperate with WHO as “this cooperation is truly effective for our country”.