Shida Kartli. Located in close vicinity to the administrative boundary line with the South Ossetia/Tskhinvali region, the outpatient clinic in the village Nikozi has been serving conflict-affected communities for over 30 years. During the lockdown, we helped the clinic purchase a new X-ray machine and other modern devices, furnish and equip a clinical and biochemical laboratory, and provide critical healthcare services to IDPs and older people. Read our press release for more... Source: UNDP’s page on the Facebook

Tbilisi. The new piece by Lasha Dolidze provides a brief overview of key international trends caused by the Covid-19 crisis, which are relevant to Georgia and are affecting or will affect Georgia’s economic development in 2021 as well as in the years to come. Full version of the publication... The document was prepared by the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC), in the frames of Good Governance Initiative | GGI Georgia, USAID/Georgia. Source: EPRC’s page on the Facebook

Tbilisi. “Senior Generation Portal” - a special website with the name is going to start functioning on February 1. Taoba.org.ge covers all important issues that are of interest to the elderly.  A page “Taoba - Home for the Elderly” has already been created on Facebook, a social network, where the population of retirement age will be able to access a variety of information they are interested in. Information will be available in text, audio, and video formats, besides, there will be a possibility to ask questions and receive answers.  The first web portal for senior generation citizens in Georgia has been created with the funding of the Center for Training and Consultancy as well as with the support of Bread for the World.  Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. “Fact Check” reports about disinformation regarding the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The subject of discussion is the website Geomediapress.ge, according to which the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been suspended due to vaccination in Norway, causing the death of up to 400 people. “Referring to the official website of Pfizer-BioNTech, Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination has not been stopped in any country, including Norway mentioned in the article. It is not true either that the vaccination claimed the lives of up to 400 people in Norway. In fact, as of today, 33 people have died shortly after being vaccinated with the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech anti-COVID-19 vaccine at a home for the elderly in Norway. It was by January 14, 2020, when for the first time in Norway 23 cases of death after vaccination were officially reported. According to January 18 data, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health had already studied and published results of the autopsy of 13 out of 23 deaths, which revealed that the connection between the vaccine and death was not found. The article of Geomediapress.ge was published on January 19, after the Norwegian Institute of Public Health noted that the connection between death and the vaccine could not be proved”, - is stated by “Fact Check”. Read more… Source:The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The EU Delegation in Georgia devotes an extensive article to the misinformation surrounding the vaccination against COVID-19. “Vaccinations are one of the greatest successes in public health. We read about diseases like smallpox in history books, rather than news websites, precisely because of vaccines, which helped to eradicate them. However, since the beginning of the pandemic there has been a huge volume of misleading information and blatant conspiracy theories about vaccines. In fact, the “vaccine scare” has been present in the undergrowth of information space for quite some time, successfully exploited by disinformation actors, state and non-state”, - We read in the article, - “Just like vaccines can provide immunity to viruses, including COVID-19, we can build immunity to disinformation”. Read more…  Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. Myth Detector publishes a blog post: How do different vaccines work and is any of them dangerous? The article is about disinformation, according to which the Pfizer vaccine is a technical virus and contains danger, while Russian (meaning Sputnik V) and Oxford (meaning AstraZeneca) vaccines are considered exemplary. As false information states, the Pfizer vaccine can alter DNA, egg, and sperm cells, which change reflects also on the fetus. “Published posts about the threat of the Pfizer vaccine and termination of the vaccination process in Greece contain disinformation: 1. All COVID-19 vaccines that are in use have passed all necessary stages of testing; 2. The European Commission and the European Medicines Agency have recommended using Moderna and Pfizer vaccines throughout Europe. 3. The principles of the impact of the Pfizer/Moderna vaccine, on the one hand, and the AstraZeneca/Sputnik V vaccine, on the other hand, are different, however, none of them contain an artificial virus. 4. Vaccines cannot cause changes in human DNA, sperm, and egg cells. 5. The vaccination process has not been terminated in Greece”, - is stated in the blog post. Read more… Source: mythdetector.ge

Germany is one of those friendly countries, which actively supported Georgia in the fight against COVID-19.  “Last year COVID-19 severely affected also Georgia. Therefore, Germany supported it in various ways. In particular, there were distributed protective clothes and food items to those in need, provided breathing aid devices to the Georgian side, allocated a soft loan and a grant to ensure social security of the unemployed, informally employed, and vulnerable part of the population during the pandemic. All these measures, small or large, are important in combating consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic”, - is stated in information released by the embassy. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia has addressed the Government of Georgia with a recommendation to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities who have reached the retirement age. “According to the recommendation, the part of the Government’s Decree (No 279) on Social Package, which prohibits the simultaneous enjoyment of a disability social package and an age pension and allows only one of them, is discriminatory. In view of all the above, the Public Defender of Georgia established direct discrimination on the ground of disability and called on the Prime Minister of Georgia to ensure that reaching the retirement age by a person with disabilities does not always exclude the possibility of receiving the social package and the -age pension at the same time”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a document in an easy-to-read format – “Rights of patients placed in a psychiatric institution”. “The document will enable people with disabilities (especially those with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities), their family members and the wider public to receive information on such issues as voluntary and involuntary psychiatric care, rights of people placed in a psychiatric institution and means of their protection”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Today the whole world is focused on containing the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak. In these challenging times accurate information is crucial but pro-Kremlin disinformation is trying to undermine the trust in vaccines. The list of disinformation about vaccines is very long. See below some of the recent disinformation narratives compiled by EU vs Disinformation and check out an infographic with the full list here... Source: eu4georgia.ge

Tbilisi. EU is proud to transfer a €60 million (GEL 240 million) grant to help Georgian citizens and businesses through the pandemic. Funds will contribute to the Government Anti-Crisis Economic Plan. More here... Source: EU’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a report on a study: Labor relations and social protection during the pandemic. “Population of Georgia was extremely unprepared for the economic crisis entailed by the pandemic. The state policy was not determined while institutions were unable to provide systemic social assistance to affected individuals and families during the pandemic. An anti-crisis social policy, developed at the state level, did not appear sufficient to ensure social protection for people with a significantly reduced income or those left without income at all”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Children's hotline - 111, that was founded by UNICEF and the Government of Georgia, is strengthened further and from now hotline operators will support the children with disabilities and their parents on any problematic issues related to the COVID-19. Every case will be examined by the central online clinic of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. From March to October 2020, to prevent spread of the COVID-19 infection and mitigate impact of the pandemic, the Open Society Georgia Foundation allocated funds up to USD 1.5 million. “Support, provided to address consequences of COVID-19, covered a number of directions, including protection of rights of workers, socio-economic assistance, empowerment of health care institutions and medical staff, update of ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and population of regions, free legal and psychological services for citizens, assistance of students during the process of online learning”, - is stated in the report of the organization. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Georgia Red Cross Society, together with hypermarket “Goodwill,” is launching a charity campaign to help socially vulnerable single older people and Covid-19 contracted socially vulnerable families. Starting today, at the Kavtaradze branch of “Goodwill” customers will be able to partake in the charity by purchasing any product from the essential product list provided by the GRCS. The other “Goodwill” branches will gradually join the initiative. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. On November 30th, the Georgia Red Cross Society resumes the charity campaign to support socially vulnerable single older people and socially vulnerable families, members of which have tested positive for COVID-19.  “Starting today, the customers of the Carrefour branch of the Tbilisi Mall will be able to buy any product from the list of the essential items provided by the Georgia Red Cross and take part in charity. The other Carrefour branches will gradually join the charity campaign”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes an analysis: Availability of oncology treatment in Georgia. “Oncological diseases are one of the leading causes of death in the world. Treatment of such diseases is a complex and lengthy process that requires significant financial resources. According to the statement of the Minister of Health of Georgia, there are up to 40 thousand patients with oncological diseases registered in Georgia to date. Analysis of state programs, active in the country for treatment of oncological diseases, shows that access of citizens to full-fledged treatment of similar diseases still faces significant challenges”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Within the framework of a joint platform of the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC) and the USAID/Georgia Good Governance Initiative (GGI Georgia), a working group of experts releases an address in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It is clear that anti-epidemic measures, taken by the state today, are already insufficient to hamper the spread of the pandemic and they require significant changes. Otherwise, the country is going to face a dramatically difficult period, which will not only make it impossible to manage the coronavirus epidemic but will also severely restrict access to other emergency and planned medical services”, - is noted in the statement. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. To save the lives of hundreds of people and to prevent the spread of the virus, there is still an urgent need to contribute to mitigating the social impact of the outbreak. You can support our humanitarian mission and make a donation by following the link below. We help through your help. Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The EU transferred €100 million today as part of our COVID-19 support to Georgia. These funds will support the macro-financial stability of the country, making it easier for Government to focus on assisting citizens & businesses cope with the pandemic. Find out more about these funds here... Find out about EU support to Georgia on COVID-19 here… Source: The EU’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. Part of civil society organizations of Georgia responds to dispersal of a rally of Namakhvani HPP construction opponents that was performed using police force. “While local population, society and field specialists have a number of critical conclusions and questions related to legality of construction of the HPP, as well as its extremely high impact and risks, construction of a large-scale energy project is carried out opaquely and without obstruction, neglecting these questions and opinions. The Government applies repressive methods in response to concerns and peaceful protests of local population and attempts to suppress protests of locals via police force, thus grossly violating fundamental rights of project-affected population”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. On May 7 and June 12, 2020, the Deputy Public Defender and members of the Special Preventive Group paid special visits to the Center for Mental Health and Prevention of Addiction Ltd. The purpose of the visits was to study the measures taken by the institution to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and their impact on the patients’ rights. “The facility took certain measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, even after the approval of the state standard for the management of the clinical condition in psychiatric institutions under the conditions of COVID 19, the institution did not fully implement a number of recommendations provided by the standard”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge