Georgian NIP faces challenges in sustaining the outcomes achieved

On October 18, 2021, The Learning Network for Countries in Transition (LNCT) published new case study lessons learned: Lessons Learned from Georgia’s Experience Transitioning From GAVI support authored by:

  • Ivdity Chikovani, Curatio International Foundation, Georgia
  • Paata Imnadze, Deputy General Director, National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Georgia
  • Lia Jabidze, EPI manager, National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Georgia

Georgia graduated from Gavi support in 2018, and since then, their National Immunization Program (NIP) has been fully financed from domestic sources. Georgia’s NIP has remained a strong performing program in the EURO region with a historically well-maintained cold chain network and monitoring and surveillance system, as well as high coverage rates for most vaccines. This country case study highlights some of the key lessons learned from Georgia’s transition, including enabling factors, as well potential risks, to its future programmatic and financial sustainability.

Despite a successful transition and strong programmatic performance, the Georgian NIP faces challenges in sustaining the outcomes achieved to date. There are issues with immunization coverage rates, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; insufficient government financing for communication activities, supportive supervision, and the information management system; challenges in sustaining human resource capacities; and weak institutional capacities in the post-market authorization. In addition, the economic burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the simultaneous transition from other donor-supported programs, brings additional financial uncertainties. The immunization program and health system need to adapt to these new realities and maximize their efforts to sustain and improve its outcomes.

See the full document here.

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