World Health Organization's HIV/AIDS policy and Georgia

WHO takes the lead within the UN system in the global health sector response to HIV/AIDS. Recent estimates indicate that the health sector alone represents at least 55% of the resources required for the global response to HIV/AIDS. In order to better target much-needed interventions, the WHO HIV/AIDS Programme focuses on five strategic directions: Enable people to know their HIV status; Maximize the health sector's contribution to HIV prevention; Accelerate the scale-up of HIV treatment and care; Strengthen and expand health systems; Invest in strategic information to guide a more effective response. The European Region is now experiencing the fastest rate of growth of HIV prevalence in any region of the word with the evidence of increasing transmission of HIV in several countries. In WHO/EURO was developed 13 new or revised evidence-based protocols on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care including co-infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, with TB, and a protocol on sexual and reproductive health for people living with HIV/AIDS. WHO assisted Georgia to elaborate and implement its first 1994-95 National Workplan on HIV/AIDS. WHO/EURO activities in Georgia consist: The advocacy and promotion of HIV/AIDS-related WHO policies, strategies, recommendations, distribution of WHO publications, press releases, and reports; The technical assistance to MoLHSA, UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS, GFATM, major national and international stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS field in promotion, development and implementation of evidence based norms and standards. By the support of WHO seven guidelines and treatment protocols have been prepared and adopted on different topics of HIV/AIDS in Georgian language; WHO participated in the preparation of "Country Response Plans for HIV/AIDS ", "UN joint response plans for HIV/AIDS", "TB/HIV national plan", applications for GFATM proposals, UNGASS reports etc.; Support in promotion, planning and caring out HIV/AIDS related events (World AIDS Day, AIDS Memorial Day, etc). By the financial support of WHO/EURO in 2007-2008 was carried out the HIV/Hepatitis coinfection epidemiological study as well as in 2006 the socio-economic study for HIV/AIDS in Georgia; In different fields of HIV/AIDS (epidemiology, surveillance, diagnostic and treatment) around 20 National and Regional conferences and workshops have been organized in Georgia and about 400 Georgian specialists passed the training courses for capacity building in and outside country.