Organizations Working on Harm Reduction Call on the Government to Be More Active

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

International organization Global Fund, which funds Harm Reduction Programs in Georgia, will significantly reduces funding for 2015. From 2018 they will most probably leave the country. 

“Harm reduction is the evidence-relied approach which aims to prevent spread of infections and to reduce over-doze mortality,” representatives of the Global Fund said, who call on the government officials to address the issue and be more active to tackle the problem.

Nongovernmental organization Rubicon is one of those who gets funding from the Global Fund. It published the March 2015 findings of the Scientific Practical Center of Infection Pathology, HIV/AIDs and Clinic Immunology. According to the 2015 data, 4 803 facts of HIV/AIDs infection were revealed in Georgia; 108 of them are new. The organization, which is member of the Harm Reduction Network of Georgia, pays particular attention to the index of Hepatitis C infections.

 

Head of Imereti office of the National Bureau for Decease Control Gocha Giorgidze said the harm reduction program is significant for the prevention of taints. Giorgidze requests the government to get more active in this direction and to increase funding for Rubicon and similar organizations in order to reduce risks in the field.

According to Gocha Giorgidze, the Hepatitis C treatment program is quite expensive for the state.

“We work hard to purchase the medicine with the price of 80 000 USD with the minimal price. It is not easy process. The steps taken for the harm reduction in Georgia is the result of the active work of the network member organizations. However, only treatment is not enough unless we start preventive measures,” Gocha Giorgidze said.

The project “Harm Reduction Works – Fund it!” aims to popularize the preventive activities; the project is implemented by Rubicon. They addressed the state institutions with recommendations prepared based on their survey results and current situation in the country.

Founder of the nongovernmental organization Rubicon and psychologist Dali Usharidze said the basis of the project was the decision of the Eurasian Network of Harm Reduction, according to which the organization had to inform the local authority with the current situation and offer funding of the project.

“Since the Global Fund intend to stop funding of the hard reduction programs, our goal is to convince governmental officials in the utility of the program to get its continued funding,” Dali Urushadze said.

Eurasian Harm Reduction Project is implemented in Belarus, Moldova, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and in Georgia.