Georgia - IOM Georgia, in coordination with the Non-Communicable Diseases Department of Georgia’s National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), last week (17/11) organized a meeting in Tbilisi to present a migrant-inclusive country strategy on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and corresponding Action Plan for 2016-2020.

“Non-communicable diseases are the primary challenge for Georgia,” said Dr. Lela Sturua, Head of Non-Communicable Disease Department at NCDC. “The data is alarming, especially regarding youth: tobacco use stands at 43 percent among students in Georgia, and the alcohol use at 85 percent. Health figures in the migrant population are even worse than the ones in the general population.”

The Interagency Coordinating Council on NCDs Prevention and Control was established in Georgia in 2015 to prevent and control NCDs. Its activities contribute to the implementation of the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2020, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This is a model strategy and the Action Plan will be shared with other countries in the region to serve as a model,” said Dr. Gauden Galea of the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

“It addresses the whole population of Georgia, including the over 300,000 internally displaced persons. These populations have greater difficulties in accessing health care services, greater exposure to risk and their own stressful situation decreases their coping ability and increases their chances of getting non-communicable diseases or their consequences,” he added.

Dr. Amiran Gamkrelidze, Director General of the NCDC said: “The number of migrants in Georgia is increasing due to globalization and they are the most vulnerable and the most affected by non-communicable diseases. They should therefore have the same access to healthcare and to preventive measures that NCDC is providing in collaboration with the IOM to ensure their overall health contributes to the development and socio-economic progress of the country.”

For further information please contact Nino Shushania at IOM Georgia, Tel. +995 32 2252216, Email: nshushania@iom.int