Tag: Georgia

Entitlement or preference? The world celebrates Health Day

Post author By velyunsky
Post date April 7, 2024

April 7 marks World Health Day, founded by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1950. This day recalls the importance of health for all people in the world and emphasizes the need for access to skilled health care as a fundamental human right. In this context, providing life-saving services such as opioid substitution therapy (OST) to people from key populations is critical. This approach enables patients to manage physical dependence, reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases (e.g. HIV or hepatitis), and improve quality of life.

However, despite the proven effectiveness of OST, many people around the world (including in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region) face barriers to accessing this treatment due to stigmatization, lack of access to health services, or legal restrictions. This creates serious obstacles for those in need of assistance.

For example, recent changes to the Ministry of Health’s January 24 Order to the opioid substitution therapy program in Georgia have made significant adjustments. Under the previous rules, patients participating in the program had the opportunity to receive a two-day dose of medication if they were unable to visit a healthcare facility, and this dose could be picked up for them by a family member or other authorized person. However, under the changes made, this right has been limited and patients or their authorized representatives must now visit the service center daily.

The changes also affected the ability to provide patients with pharmaceuticals in special cases. Previously, there was an option to receive a five-day supply of medication when long-term home treatment exceeding two months was required, or a seven-day supply for those with a pronounced disability or active tuberculosis. However, the amendments have completely abolished this exceptional regulation. Under the previous regulation, patients could also be given a dose if they had to move around the country (the principle of business travel). The innovations have abolished this regulation and now, even in cases of exceptional need such as business travel or ill health, patients can only be given a one-day dose.

Kazakhstan also has a serious problem with violations of the rights to health care and health maintenance for people who use psychoactive substances. These problems have been identified, including through the REAct, on appeals related to obstacles in accessing medical services for clients. This situation covers several aspects:

– Lack of access to free medical care, including tests and abortions, for persons without compulsory social health insurance.

– Limited access to a guaranteed amount of free medical care for people who use psychoactive substances.

– Insufficient drug supply and diagnosis of diseases among persons in detention centers.

According to the Order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan from September 23, 2020, № KR DSM-108/2020, treatment of people who use psychoactive substances is carried out within the guaranteed volume of free medical care in regional Mental Health Centers (MHC). Anonymous treatment is available only on a paid basis. However free medical care does not provide the necessary range of services for social, psychological, pedagogical, labor, cultural, economic, and legal support for people from the community.

The theme of this year’s World Health Day is “My Health, My Right” and aims to support and recognize the right of everyone, wherever they are, to access high-quality health care, education and health information, and freedom from discrimination. This means that it is worth taking another opportunity to draw public attention to such violations of people’s rights to quality and timely health care and the need to develop a model that complies with human rights principles and international standards while taking into account the needs of patients, their families and the interests of organizations providing addiction treatment services. And legislate to guarantee the provision of a full range of assistance for the treatment and rehabilitation of everyone who needs it.

Health is everyone’s right, as is equal access for all people to qualified care.

Public appeal to the Ministry of Health of Georgia: assessment of changes in legislation on substitution therapy program

Post author By velyunsky
Post date March 28, 2024

The Public appeal of Georgian NGOs to the Ministry of Health reflects serious concerns about the recently introduced changes to the legislation regulating the substitution therapy program. Drug policy experts, as well as representatives of public associations, raise important questions about how these changes will affect the rights and quality of life of patients enrolled in this program.

According to the change made on January 24 of this year in Order No. 01-41/N of the Minister of Labor, Health and Social Protection of Georgia “On Implementation of Substitution Treatment of Opioid Addiction”, the rules of administration of the substitution program were regulated differently.

According to the existing regulations, patients included in the substitution treatment program, in case of inability to report to the drug institution, could receive/withdraw the drug intended for substitution treatment for a maximum of 2 days with the help of a family member or other authorized person. Under the changes, beneficiaries have been restricted from this right, and they or their proxy must go to a service center every day. The change also affected the possibility of providing the patient with a pharmaceutical product in special cases.

According to the revision effective until January 24, in case of need for long-term (more than 2 months) treatment at the patient’s apartment, it was possible to receive 5 days’ supply, and to persons with pronounced disabilities and active form of tuberculosis, it was possible to receive the product in the amount of 7 days’ supply at the same time. With the implemented changes, the said exceptional regulation was canceled altogether.

Also, the current order no longer provides for the possibility of receiving a dose of no more than 4 days for the patient in the case of justifying the reason for moving within the country (the so-called business trip principle). With the new change, even in the conditions of any exceptional and objective need, (including during a business trip or due to health conditions) it is possible to provide only 1-day allowance to patients.

As a result, it is important to ensure consultation and discussion with health and addiction professionals and experts. This will help to develop a model that is consistent with human rights principles, and international standards and that carefully considers the needs of patients, their families, and the interests of organizations providing addiction treatment services.

Center for Social Justice

Georgian Harm Reduction Network

Alternative Georgia

Georgia Network of People who Use Drugs (Genpud)

New Vector

Association of Narcologists of Georgia

Public Union “Bemons”

Phoenix 2009

National Network for the Protection of Human Rights

Association of Psychologists and Psychotherapists

Rubicon

Information and Medical Psychological Help Center

Association HERA XXI

“Hepa Plus”

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Discussions on strategies to combat HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis brought together key national experts in Georgia

Post author By velyunsky
Post date March 18, 2024

A civil society forum on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, organized by the United Coordinating Council of the Country for Actions Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, was held on 26 February in Tbilisi, Georgia. The event brought together important participants and experts to discuss plans to strengthen the health system and ensure the sustainability of programs to combat these diseases.

Maka Gogia, Georgian Harm Reduction Network, and David Otiashvili, NGO Alternative Georgia facilitated the forum, which provided a platform for the exchange of views and experiences. The participants discussed current initiatives, the role of civil society in their implementation, and the directions of the updated strategic plans to fight HIV/AIDS and TB. Also, during the forum, the national REActor presented relevant information regarding the REAct annual report.

The forum touched upon various aspects of the problem, including financing of programs, new approaches to prevention, and issues of access to medicines. The event was attended by representatives of both governmental and non-governmental sectors, as well as international organizations, including the Global Fund. The prospects of work under the regional project #SoS_2.0 for 2024, the effectiveness of programs to prevent HIV transmission to men who have sex with men, and other important issues related to infectious disease control were also discussed.

At this meeting CSOs and drug user community talked about existing drug policy and new restrictions within OST program that significantly worsens the condition of disabled people and other patients with severe chronic diseases. With the changes, the standards of legal protection of the persons who are employed deteriorate, and it is possible that business trips are of decisive importance for the performance of their professional activities, overall, it reduces the degree of integration of program patients into society and worsens their situation. Participants agreed to join their efforts to continue advocate activities to remove restrictive regulation in the program.

According to the participants, the forum was a significant step towards a more effective fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, providing a fruitful dialog and exchange of experience among various stakeholders.

Georgia’s new legislation on substitution therapy program raises public concerns

Post author By velyunsky
Post date March 1, 2024

On February 15, a press conference organized by the Georgian Harm Reduction Network was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, on the problem of access to treatment for people who use drugs. The main issue was changes in legislation regulating opioid substitution therapy (OST).

Drug policy organizations, health experts, and public associations expressed their concern about the changes made to the legislation on OST. They believe that such changes will not adequately protect the rights of patients participating in the program.

It was noted at the event that the innovation will significantly worsen the situation of people with disabilities and other patients with severe chronic diseases. According to the new rules, doses will no longer be provided in case of the need to move within the country (the principle of a business trip). Even in cases of justified and objective reasons (including travel or health problems), only a one-day dose will be available to patients.

Nongovernmental organizations call on representatives of the Ministry of Health of Georgia to open a dialogue on this issue. They propose to create an inclusive platform where public and professional organizations, as well as health experts, could discuss the problems of OST programs and jointly develop a model based on human rights principles, and international standards and taking into account the interests of patients, their families and medical institutions.

The first open webinar on drug policy was held in Georgia

Post author By velyunsky
Post date February 18, 2024

Georgia hosted its first public webinar on drug policy on January 30. The webinar was organized by FTF as a wrap-up event of the project – drugpolicy.ge. It was the first of its kind in Georgia, aimed at collecting and processing objective and relevant information, as well as providing the public with facts based on open sources and uncensored.

The first part of the webinar was devoted to a presentation of the project itself. The second part was a discussion on drug policy to strategize on how to implement plans. One of the national REActors also spoke as part of this discussion, presenting the key results of the system in the country and the challenges faced by clients.

The organization of the webinar was supported by the European Union and the Open Society Foundation. It is important to note that the content of the webinar is solely the responsibility of its organizers and does not represent the official position of the European Union and the Open Society Foundation.

Alarming trends against the background of domestic violence: the story of Lana from Georgia

Post author By velyunsky
Post date December 4, 2023

During 2023, national REActors in Georgia documented 13 cases of violence in which individuals were punished through courts or law enforcement agencies. One such story was the fate of 30-year-old Lana (name changed), a pregnant woman engaged in sex work.

Lana, living with her husband and mother-in-law, faced an unpleasant situation that dramatically changed her life. Four months pregnant, she was assaulted by her husband, who, blinded by jealousy and mistakenly believing that the child was not his, inflicted severe bodily harm on her.

Lana sought help from the REActor. With Lana’s consent, he called the police, and the husband, the perpetrator of the assault, was arrested. The pregnant woman herself, alas, required transfer to a clinic for medical care.

This case is just one of many that emphasize the urgency of the problem of domestic violence and the importance of community solidarity in the fight against this phenomenon.

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Incident in Moldova with disclosure of medical information

Tags Georgia, Human Rights