Tbilisi. An organization “Partnership for Human Rights” (PHR) has contested the idea of granting a lifelong “green status” to COVID survivors in court. “The organization urges the Tbilisi City Court to issue an interim measure instructing the Government to make a “scientific evidence-based decision” in regard to “green passports”. Read more… Source: The website of the organization on a social network

Tbilisi. The Social Justice Center responds to a statement of Irakli Garibashvili in regard to tightening of a drug policy. “We consider that use of a repression and punishment-oriented rhetoric by the Prime Minister is extremely problematic. Instead of promoting a care-oriented policy, the statement of the Prime Minister causes stigmatization of drug users and their further exclusion from the society, while opinions expressed in the context of so-called prescription drug addiction are not aimed at elimination of root causes of the problem”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. UNICEF continues supporting the Georgian Government in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, in agreement with the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, we handed over 6600 boxes of Dexamethasone to the Georgian Medical Holding. This medicine is used in COVID-19 management and is considered a scarce good. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Kvemo Kartli. The Vaccines for Life campaign is travelling across Georgia to spread the message about vaccines and vaccination. For now, UNDP stopped over in Marneuli to distribute information brochures among up to 300 people.  Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. The Public Defender has created a group of multi-profile experts aiming to monitor medical services of Mikheil Saakashvili. “On November 16, 2021, the Public Defender convened a group of multi-profile medical experts in order to monitor adequacy and timeliness of medical services provided to accused/convicted Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia, by the Ministry of Justice/Special Penitentiary Service. The goal of the group is also to assess how feasible the medical facility N18 is to ensure protection of the right of Mikheil Saakashvili to health care at present and whether it will be possible to deliver adequate medical services at this facility after termination of a lengthy hunger strike by the prisoner, as it is demanded by the European Court of Human Rights in its November 10 ruling”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender is responding to the various opinions expressed around the multifunctional council created by the Ministry of Justice and believes that the Ministry of Justice/Special Penitentiary Service should ensure the full protection of Mikheil Saakashvili's health and make the work of the multifunctional council more systematic and effective. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Racha. The Vaccines for Life campaign is reaching out to the region of Racha. Up to 400 people attended information meetings in the Ambrolauri and Oni municipalities. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Samegrelo. UNICEF Georgia continues information meetings about COVID-19 vaccination. This time meeting conducted with the teachers from Tsalenjikha municipalities. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. If you are interested in how to get registered as a volunteer at the Georgia Red Cross Society and join the coronavirus (COVID-19) response team, then visit the website for online registration, fill out required information and take an online training course on prevention of spread of the coronavirus and personal safety measures. While upon successful completion, become a member of the COVID-19 response team. Read more... Source: The website of the organization on a social network

Tbilisi. Part of civil society organizations in Georgia respond to developments occurred in regard to hospitalization of Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President. “We call on the authorities to take full account of the conclusion and recommendations of the multifunctional group of doctors and the Public Defender of Georgia when discussing the issue of hospitalization of Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia, and to make a decision on hospitalization while making sure that all risks to his life and health, as well as security are completely excluded”. Read more… Source:socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. Up to 30 people with hearing impairments got vaccines after just one information meeting at the Union of Deaf. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Imereti. Moirge is a MAC developed service that provides wheelchairs for, and fitted to, individuals under 18 years of age with postural support needs across Georgia. “Moirge is fully committed to providing services that align with the WHO’s wheelchair provision guidelines and ensures that each person is accurately assessed, fitted to their wheelchair, and provided follow-up support. If you believe you or your child qualify for these chairs and service, we recommend that you follow the following steps”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Kvemo Kartli. The Georgia Red Cross Society with support of international Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies opened a mass immunization center in Rustavi in the 4th public school. “Everyone willing to get vaccinated will be able to get a full vaccination service without any prior registration. We would like to kindly remind you that the Georgia Red Cross Society is being actively involved in the successful, effective and safe implementation of the vaccination process, a vivid example of which is a successful functioning of the Mtskheta and Mukhrani mass immunization centers”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

The information meetings about COVID-19 vaccination continue. „This time we visited Zestaponi and Chiatura to meet with teachers. Prominent doctors - Allergologist, Bidzina Kulumbegov, Cardiologist Zviad Kipiani, Pediatrician Ivane Chkhaidze and Representative from the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Khatuna Zakhashvili briefed the participants about COVID-19 vaccination. An interesting discussion was held followed by a Q&A session“. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On October 11, the Office of the Public Defender of Georgia, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), organized an online conference dedicated to the World Mental Health Day. The subject of the conference was – “Provision of mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic”. “There was discussed at the conference the quality of provision of psychiatric inpatient and community outpatient services during the pandemic. Besides, participants of the conference also talked about mental health and impact of COVID-19 on people with mental health problems”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Partnership for Human Rights (PHR) publishes an article about sexual and reproductive health and rights of people with intellectual disabilities. “Restriction of sexuality, sexual self-expression and reproductive rights of people with disabilities has a long history. Nowadays, there are restrictive views about sexual life of people with disabilities remaining within society. According to these views, people with disabilities, and especially people with intellectual disabilities are perceived as “permanent children” who have no sexual desire. One of the best ways to change these views is to conduct public discussion of conclusions that are part of scientific sources and touch upon sexual as well as reproductive rights of people with disabilities”. Read more… Source: phr.ge

Tbilisi. UNICEF Georgia releases an article: Four things you can do to support your teen’s mental health. Whether you and your teen are getting along well or having challenges, it is important to show that you love and support them, that you can help them navigate tough times and that you are always there for them. Here are four things to keep in mind when having that ‘how-are-you-doing?’ conversation with your teen and to show that you are always there for them. Encourage them to share their feelings Take the time to support them Work through conflict together Care for yourself Read more… Source: www.unicef.org

Children and young people could feel the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and well-being for many years to come, UNICEF warned in its flagship report today. “According to the latest available estimates, more than 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10–19 is estimated to live with a diagnosed mental disorder globally. Almost 46,000 adolescents die from suicide each year, among the top five causes of death for their age group. Meanwhile, wide gaps persist between mental health needs and mental health funding. The report finds that about 2 per cent of government health budgets are allocated to mental health spending globally”. Read the press release... Source: www.unicef.org

Tbilisi. Rights Georgia presents a blog post of Nana Mchedlidze, an expert in international law: Compulsory vaccination does not violate human rights. “The purpose of the article is to inform society about an existing European standard on obligations of the state and rights of people in regard to the vaccination, which standard is compulsory for 47 member states of the Council of Europe, including Georgia”. Read more… Source: rights.ge

Tbilisi. Fair Labor Platform responds to an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of Georgia to use the assistance of the Labor Inspection Service and inspect the status of labor and wage rights of healthcare workers employed in the hospital sector. “Despite the delayed response from the agencies, we welcome this initiative and hope that it will be followed by effective steps resulting in improvement of working conditions of medical personnel”, - the platform states, - “The COVID-19 pandemic significantly worsened already tough working conditions of healthcare workers (especially nurses and attendants). In the circumstances of the pandemic, they appeared to be unprotected. According to data of “Georgian Trade Unions Confederation”, 23 nurses died of COVID-infection while on duty, and the named number reflects only the data available on their database. Both the state and private hospital sectors, which for years were focused on shifting the health care service from public good to business profit logic, confronted the coronavirus pandemic completely unprepared. This was especially evident in the personnel and labor policy”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies has published a blog by Vladimir Papava, Senior Research Fellow, Rondell Foundation – ‘Vaccination: ‘To Be, or not to Be’… ‘Even though different types of vaccines have been developed, making it easier for people to choose when available, the issue of low trust in these vaccines remains a major problem. And if a significant portion of the population has no confidence in the vaccines, then it will be impossible to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic through them. In other words, as it turns out, the existence of a vaccine in and of itself is not necessarily a panacea’, - writes the author. Read more…  Source: The webpage of the organization

Tbilisi. On August 27, Giorgi Kandelaki, an infectious disease specialist, published a post, in which he spoke about the vaccine-associated enhanced disease - VAED. VAED is a so-called umbrella term and refers to antibody-dependent enhancement - ADE and enhanced respiratory disease - ERD. As Kandelaki states, it was VAED that preconditioned failure of certain vaccines, such as those against the syncytial virus as well as SARS and MERS. After examining facts, “Fact Check” claims that a hypothetic opinion of Giorgi Kandelaki, as if ADE (antibody-dependent enhancement) may develop as a result of vaccines against COVID-19, is unsubstantiated. There is no scientific evidence that vaccines against COVID-19 cause an ADE reaction, a similar fact has not been observed at the stages of their preclinical and clinical studies. Besides, no cases of ADE have been reported in people vaccinated during the immunization process. Read more… Source: factcheck.ge