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Georgia
In Georgia, the Joint Team continued to advocate and support the Government ensuring substantial focus on populations left behind in the national policies and development framework (UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, WHO). Thanks to advocacy, policy dialogue and technical guidance, the new National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2023-2025 recognises the transgender community as a priority population to address their needs. In addition, a protocol on standards of HIV prevention services for the transgender community was developed and 60 healthcare providers had orientation on the updated protocols (UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, WHO).
Through collaboration with the nongovernmental organization Bemoni Public Union, 30 youth workers and more than 3500 adolescents from Tbilisi and rural areas were trained on HIV prevention (UNICEF). As part of randomized control trials, the Joint Team further supported initiatives that apply the behavioural insight approaches to consolidate platforms for anonymous counselling and youth-friendly services, aiming at boosting uptake of HIV self-testing among young people (UNDP, UNFPA).
With technical support from the Joint Team, the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) conducted a readiness assessment of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in Georgia; and updated the national elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (EMTCT) Action Plan 2022-2024, expanding it to include hepatitis B (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO).