A regular meeting of the Advisory Council on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention was held at the Parliament of Georgia.

During the meeting, information on policy priorities in the field of tuberculosis and global preparedness for tuberculosis vaccination was presented online by Janika Hauser, Head of Policy at the Global Tuberculosis Council, and Alesia Matusevych, Regional Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Head of Tobacco Control at the same council.

According to J. Hauser, BCG vaccination effectively protects children from tuberculosis, but it is not sufficiently effective for adults, which contributes to the continued spread of the disease worldwide and highlights the need to develop a new vaccine.

She noted that two types of tuberculosis vaccines are currently undergoing phase-three clinical trials, aimed at protecting adolescents and adults from the disease.

A. Matusevych emphasized the positive assessment of Georgia’s efforts in combating tuberculosis.

“We highly appreciate the active involvement of the Georgian Parliament and the executive government in the fight against tuberculosis, which demonstrates the state’s strong commitment in this direction”, - she stated.

According to her, Georgia has achieved significant progress over the past decades, with a substantial decrease in tuberculosis cases, and the country has become a regional leader in introducing innovative treatment approaches.

At the meeting, Irina Javakhadze, Head of the Health Policy Department at the Ministry of IDPs, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, discussed the main directions of the WHO End TB Strategy in Georgia. She explained that the global strategy covers 2015–2035 and aims to create a tuberculosis-free world, ending the global TB epidemic and achieving zero deaths, disease, and suffering caused by tuberculosis.

I. Javakhadze also reviewed a situational analysis of the past five years, highlighting the country’s progress as well as remaining challenges.

“According to the latest analysis, the number of tuberculosis cases today is about one-fifth of what it was 15 years ago. During that period, Georgia had nearly 5,000 cases, whereas today the number is around 1,140. Previously, this number of cases was found only within the penitentiary system. I am confident that through joint efforts with international and donor organizations, we will achieve the status of a tuberculosis-free country, which is our main goal”, - Zaza Lominadze, Chair of the Health Care and Social Issues Committee stated.

At the meeting, Paata Imnadze, Deputy Director of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia, spoke about lead poisoning prevention measures and the introduction of a lead-resistant surveillance system, as well as the technical assistance, challenges, and expectations associated with implementing the system.

The meeting was attended by Members of Parliament, representatives of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia, the National Health Agency of Georgia, the UNICEF office in Georgia, professional associations, governmental and international organizations, sector experts, and other stakeholders.