15 YEARS
of Serving Development
For further information contact: Curatio International Foundation 37d, Chavchavadze Avenue, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia P.O. Box 56, 0179, Tbilisi, Georgia Tel: (995 32) 25 13 44; 25 31 04; 25 31 96; Fax: (995 32) 99 55 40 cif@curatio.com www.curatio.com www.curatiofoundation.org
3 Content
Curatio International Foundation
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Message of the President and Directors and the Board
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We aim to
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How We operate
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The way we have traveled
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Corporate Governance and Management
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We bring impacts
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We value our partners
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Our Success Hints
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Looking forward to the future
4 Curatio International Foundation
Message of the President and Directors and the Board
Message from the Chairman of the Board As the year 2009 approaches its end, the Curatio International Foundation (CIF) is entering the milestone of its 15th year of service in supporting health care reforms in transition economies, and in improving the health of those who live in Georgia, the Southern Caucasus, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. This occasion is an opportune time to address you on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Curatio International Foundation. It is a privilege to have chaired the Board for the last 5 years and to have closely worked with the CIF management, providing strategic advice and building the future of the organization. CIF embodies quality expertise in the field of healthcare today and has made significant leaps forward since 1994, a period of political turmoil, followed by our entry into a transition economy. More so even today, we remain a strategic and reliable partner to Georgian ministries and the governments it has worked with, donors, academic institutions and civil society organizations. Competent leadership and effective management systems are central characteristics of CIF. One of the most prominent strengths of our organization lies in its western-like management style, with widely recognized experts and a
skilled team of professionals, whose diversified expertise and collective experience has brought many valuable perspectives to our endeavors and decision-making efforts. CIF’s management is oriented towards achieving tangible results by setting clear goals with relevant targets and yardsticks. This ensures that we measure our organizational activities in an efficient manner. I’d like to thank our board members for their continued support of the CIF and for building and supporting the future of this great organization. I am sure the CIF will continue to play a pivotal role in implementing reasonable health care reforms, not just here in Georgia, but throughout the countries it operates in.
MESSAGE FROM the PRESIDENT and DIRECTORS’ This milestone 15th anniversary presents us with an opportunity to spotlight some of the Curatio International Foundation’s (CIF) achievements in health system reform since 1994, thus shedding some light on the impact of CIF’s contributions, and to address the organization’s future aspirations. Looking back over these last 15 years, certain accomplishments clearly stand out. We are able to look back with a feeling of intense pride. This is certainly not based on a sense of any one person’s accomplishments, but in what we have achieved as a team and as an organization.
5 Message of the President and Directors and the Board
CIF was founded with the goal of supporting healthcare sector reforms in transition economies, and to assist various countries in shaping effective and high quality healthcare systems. We strongly believe that an easy access to these essential health services is vital for having a well-developed and prosperous community. We aim to influence public policy with the purpose of increasing the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare systems by improving management, financial access, and quality of healthcare. We are addressing the most challenging issues facing us in this field and we strive to improve the health of our community members. Our work has contributed to the well-being of thousands of children, women, and men, not only in Georgia – but beyond. CIF works in collaboration with a network of national and international professionals and researchers, partner organizations, development oriented organizations, and western academic institutions, in order to bridge the gap between what is known about the problems at hand, and what has to be done in order to solve them. Throughout the course of our presence as an organization, we have been dedicated to delivering qualified expertise to those organizations, governments and communities in need of it, providing sound evidence-based consultations for shaping effective health care policies, and in the meantime, gaining status as a reliable partner among the local and international communities. In the 15 years of our work, CIF has remained at the forefront of the field, thanks to its results-oriented approach and creative management, but more importantly, due to our highly qualified employees, and internationally well-
known health care experts. Once, we had a staff of only 3 staff members. Today, our staff has grown to over 30 professional employees. We hope that our work will improve the well-being of children, men, and women through supporting governments in creating systems that guarantee the best standards of health care, and eliminate imbalances in access to health care services among economically and socially vulnerable people. Looking towards the future, we envision every individual to be a beneficiary of this dedicated work in our continued joint efforts with our partners and donors, whom we have already acknowledged.
Curatio International Foundation
6 Curatio International Foundation
The way we have traveled
THE WAY WE HAVE TRAVELED Prior to transition, most transition countries shared similar systems based on the “Semashko Model,� developed in the Soviet Union in the 1920s. At the time of the break down of the Soviet Union, economic shocks resulting from the transition period out of communism, led to the deterioration of health care systems in the post-Soviet Republics. Transition to a market economy resulted in economic liberalization; privatization, deregulation and decentralization; and the introduction of market mechanisms designed to support competition and improve efficiency. However, these changes have had varying degrees of impact on people’s health. Some countries, and some groups of people within countries, have fared better than others. Moreover, since then, entire governments have been faced with the need to reform their health sectors and adjust them to the changing economic and political new contexts. In response to this need, 15 years ago the Curatio International Foundation (CIF) was founded in Georgia as an independent non-governmental organization, and chose as its top priority to be the supporter of health sector reforms in transition economies. Our initial focus was exclusively on Georgia, and gradually we developed a geographical scope extended to the other ex-Soviet Republics, the Southern Caucasus (1995-1996), Central Asia (1998), North Africa, and the Middle East (2004).
Since its founding, CIF has been providing unbiased analysis of the most critical issues related to health systems and policies. Our organization supplies decision makers with a base of evidence that will ensure their adoption of efficient and evidence-informed approaches, when reforming health systems, allocating resources, improving functionality, and their assessment of policies. Since 1997, the CIF has implemented over 200 projects in more then 20 countries.
7 We aim to How We operate
Curatio International Foundation
WE AIM TO…
WE OPERATE IN…
Our mission is to facilitate reform processes in the social and health sectors in developing countries and transitional economies.
In our work we focus on the most challenging issues that the health sector faces today. Through bringing new ideas and providing hand-in-hand consultation to policy makers and communities, over the years of its existence, the Curatio International Foundation has developed seven areas which make up the pillars of our foundation’s work today:
Values: • • • • • • •
Competency Continuous Professional Development Creativity/Originality Efficient Management Respect for different opinions and cultures Teamwork Transparency
• • • • • • • •
Health Care Policy; Health Care Systems; Health Care Financing; Health Care Information & Management Sys– tems; Reproductive Health; HIV & AIDS; Project & Program Design, Implementation Man– agement, Monitoring & Evaluation. Health System research
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Corporate Governance and Management
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Board of Directors
Board Members
Our Board of Directors governs organization’s direction and strategies for setting organizational policies. The Board, headed by the Chairman of the Board, is composed of nine members elected for a three year long renewable term, to serve a maximum of nine years. Currently there are three vacant seats on the Board. Our board members represent diverse sectors – public, private, academia, healthcare, etc. Board meetings take place at least twice a year to oversee and assess the CIF’s overall performance, provide strategic guidance, review, revise and approve new policies, and set targets for the CIF’s management team. The rapid and progressive development of the Curatio International Foundation is largely based on the merits of the Board who have supported and intervened whenever necessary during the years of our existence.
Bidzina Mgaloblishvili, Chairman of the Board MD
The Board is headed by Dr. Bidzina Mgaloblishvili.
Dr. Bidzina Mgaloblishvili has been chairing the board since 2004. He is currently General Director of the Tbilisi Mental Health Center. His input into the development of Georgia’s mental health care field has been huge. In the early 1990s he graduated from the N.P Ogoriov Sanarnsk State University and Tbilisi State University, as a Medical Doctor. During his 5 years as chairman, Dr.Mgaloblishvili has channeled valuable resources and his personal commitment towards the benefit of the organization.
Akaki Zoidze, board member MD, MPA Dr. Akaki Zoidze has been a member of the board since July 2008. Mr. Zoidze has over 15 years of diverse
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experience which has drawn upon his public sector work, project management, and consulting experience with international development organizations, like the World Bank, UN Agencies, WHO, DFID, and the USAID. As the Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia in 2001-2003, and a Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs in 1999-2001, he made valuable contributions to public policy development and health sector reforms. He formerly led the task force for development of a new vision for Primary Health Care (PHC) in Georgia, and put forth valuable efforts towards the introduction of reforms in PHC financing. Along with his Medical Doctor’s degrees, Mr. Zoidze has taken a Graduate Professional Development Program in Public Administration [with a concentration on Health Policy] atColumbia University.
David Gzirishvili, board member MD, MA David Gzirishvili has joined the Board of Curatio International Foundation since 2009, although he has been related of foundation since 1995 in different capacities. His presence at the organization as an expert on health and social policies since 2003 has contributed to the successful performance of the organization. During the past 15 years he has been exposed to many aspects of the development of organizations and managing health care projects in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Mr. Gzirishvili is a renowned expert with a background as a consultant to leading international donor organizations. He has also contributed to the reengineering of business and non-for-profit organizations in an extremely volatile and challenging environment of
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transition economies. Mr. Gzirishvili is a Medical Doctor. He received a Master’s degree in Social Security from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
Elene Imnadze, board member MPA Ms. Elene Imnadze joined the board in July 2008. She has been a part of the team of the World Bank Office in Georgia in her capacity as Senior Public Sector Specialist and Senior Programs Coordinator covering World Bank funded projects in Georgia. She has worked on education, legal, public finance, and structural reforms in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and Kazakhstan. She has made valuable contributions to the Bank’s analytical work through inputs to the Georgia Public Expenditures and Financial Accountability Assessment, Georgia Secondary Education Sector Note, Georgia Poverty Assessment Series, Country Procurement Assessment Reports, and Georgia Civil Service Analysis. She is very familiar with many aspects of project management work, leadership, and consultancy, through her work with organizations like the Knowledge Fund of Free University, UMCOR, and the UN System in Italy. Ms. Imnadze holds an MA in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, and BA in Oriental Studies from Tbilisi state University.
David Buadze, board member David Buadze has been a member of the board since July 2008. He has made valuable contributions to our organization’s development with his purposeful and pragmatic decisions. Mr.Buadze brings more than 15 years of his
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Corporate Governance and Management
contributions to the business sector’s development, including banking and small and medium enterprises. As a member of the executive leadership team at different leading banks in Georgia, he has professional knowledge of all aspects of commercial banking, and a good knowledge of the environment of Eastern European and transition economies. He has extensive partnerships and professional links with international financial institutions like the EBRD, KfW, IFC, and BSTDB. He has rendered consulting services to Dresdner Bank AG of Germany, and managed EU funded business development projects. His academic background is as a Nuclear Physics specialist from Tbilisi State University.
Giorgi Tavkhelidze, board member Giorgi Tavkhelidze joined the board in July 2008. During board sessions his comments have always stood out with rationality and his demonstrated deep understanding of many critical issues. His strengths have been mainly focused on the private sector. Since 2007, he has held the position of Marketing Director of Karvasla, a NetherlandsGeorgian Developer Company, and also as Director of the developer company “My House Corporation”. During 1996-2001, he had been managing various marketing directions at different organizations for promoting financial and non-financial products. He contributed greatly to raising awareness and boosting public interest towards our first pension scheme. He planned and implemented a marketing campaign targeted at the establishment of the above-mentioned pension
scheme throughout 2001-2002. During 2003-2004, he coordinated the marketing component of the World Bank funded “Preparation of the Georgia Social Protection Reform Project”.
Top Management Curatio International Foundation’s success has been determined by our management team of highly qualified managers and experts. The team consists of the President and two Directors, who provide leadership and determine the organization’s directions. Our Management is responsible for coordinating the administrative as well as financial operations of the organization, in addition to providing guidance, and determining the technical direction of our projects.
KETEVAN CHKHATARASHVILI, President MD, MPH Since joining the Curatio International Foundation as President of the organization, Ms.Ketevan Chkhatarashvili has made valuable contributions to the development of the organization and its overall performance. Her presence at CIF has been marked by accelerated growth, and the required structural changes needed within the organization. As a health expert, she has been involved in UNFA round table meetings on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in New York, and also in comprehensive situationanalyses of HIV/AIDS in Georgia. She has in the course of her career, worked in collaboration with the WB, UN Agencies (WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA), and John Hopkins University. In addition to her manage-
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rial background, she is a Medical Doctor with more than 9 years of clinical experience. She earned her Master’s degree in Public Health from Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and is a Yale World Fellows Program alumnus.
George Gotsadze, Director MD, PhD George Gotsadze has been director of the CIF since 1996 and manages the program portfolio of the organization. He is a renowned expert on health policy and health systems issues, and has worked in many countries of the former Soviet Union and North and East Africa. Offering expertise in the areas of health care policy, health care systems and financing, organizational development, project design, and program evaluation, Dr. Gotsadze has been providing consulting services to a number of global health organizations, including the World Bank, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. He is the author of numerous scientific publications. He holds a PhD in immunology and obstetrics and gynecology and is a Health Care Management faculty member at Tbilisi State University.
Tamar Goguadze, Financial and Administrative Director Tamar Goguadze has been with the foundation since 1997. Being in the position of Financial Director since then, she has led the organization through major growth phases. She heads the units that form the back bone of the organization, and she assures that all operations run
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smoothly in all countries were CIF works. She is one of the main contributors to the structural development of CIF, and has greatly helped our organization to adjust to the changes resulting from growth in size and geographic scope.
Program Leadership and Middle Management The success of our organization draws heavily upon professional program leaders who make up the backbone of the CIF. Our program leaders are experts on specific diseases, public policies, and research. They are responsible for developing our innovative program strategies, and for coordinating newly implemented program phases, in addition to their fundraising duties.
Ivdity Chikovani, Program Coordinator MD Ivdity Chikovani brings more than 10 years working experience in the field of public health. She joined CIF in 2000 and since then has been involved is various operational and research projects as an assistant manager, researcher, health information system officer, and program manager. Dr. Chikovani’s expertise focuses on communicable disease surveillance including HIV and health information system. As one of the recent efforts she provided assistance to the government at the policy level on the public health system organizational development. Dr. Chikovani’s professional interest lies also in maternal and child health issues. Ivdity Chikovani has participated
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Corporate Governance and Management
in several research projects and has worked as a consultant for various donors in different countries of the region.
Marina Egutia, Program Manager MPA Marina Egutia has been the part of CIF family since 2006. She is an international development professional with more than 10 years of expertise in managing multi-sector projects as a direct implementer and a donor consultant. In the capacity of organizational development Program Manager for USAID funded CoReform project she ensured provision of the technical support to the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs of Georgia in streamlining the core ministerial functions, structure and operational systems, and needs based capacity building activities. Additionally, she has an extensive experience in managing the Bureau of Population Refugee and Migration (PRM), the World Bank, WHO; OSGF and USAID funded projects. Currently, she leads the project aiming at strengthening civil society capacity in terms of employing evidence to engage effectively in policy making process. Marine Egutia holds her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the George Washington University.
Ketevan Goguadze, Program Manager MD As a highly experienced specialist in public health with a focus on communicable disease surveillance, health information system, immunization and practical medicine, Ketevan Goguadze has joined CIF in 2004. As a program manager Dr. Goguadze is currently responsible for overall
planning, managing and implementing projects. She has been managing CIF’s efforts with regards to improve HIV/ AIDS surveillance system in the country. She had rendered assistance to the World Bank, World Health Organization and UNICEF in the development of the multi-year comprehensive plans (cMYP) in Tajikistan, Armenia, and Georgia. She was engaged in various research projects undertaken by CIF.
Natia Rukhadze Researcher The analytical approach, academic thinking skills, and purposefulness of Natia Rukhadze have made her one of the most significant contributors to producing quality research works at Curatio International Foundation. During her nine years with the organization she has been actively involved in qualitative and quantitative research analyses. She has coordinated a broad series of scientific, social, and marketing projects for an extensive range of clients and for the CIF itself. She has been responsible for the technical implementation and planning of various research activities undertaken by the CIF, including the development of methodologies and applicable instruments, data processing and analysis, reporting, project monitoring, and evaluation. During the period of her collaboration with CIF, she has successfully participated in more than 40 projects, including the Cooperation in Health System Transformation in Georgia, the National Health Account Program, the Community based Health Insurance Project; in addition, she was engaged in Monitoring and Evaluating the Health System-wide Effects on the Global Fund to
13 Corporate Governance and Management We bring impacts
fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and with the BioBehavioral Surveillance Survey. In 2006 she was involved in household and facility survey data analysis conducted in Azerbaijan within the PHC strengthening project, implemented by the International Medical Corps (IMC-Baku).
Curatio International Foundation
WE BRING IMPACTS Through the dissemination of a vast amount of information accumulated as a result of extensive research and project implementation, our Foundation’s work has brought tangible results in the strengthening of healthcare systems, through the endorsement of improved information management systems, producing evidence for new policy formulation, improving service delivery, and most importantly, access of the population to needed services. The impacts our combined efforts in evidence production and advocacy have contributed greatly to the wellbeing of our community.
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We bring impacts
STRENGHTENING THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THROUGH FILLING THE GAP IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Effective Information Management systems prompt rational decision-making
WITH FOCUS ON CHILDREN Our nearly collapsed health system and disrupted immunizations services following the widespread political turmoil after the break down of the Soviet Union in 1991, resulted in worsening health, widespread poverty, and inefficient implementation of preventive health measures. This in turn led to increasing spread of infectious diseases during 1993-1999. The poor quality of data and limited information impeded the ability of health workers and managers to respond to or prevent disease outbreaks in our communities. Circumstances prompted a need to launch a new scheme which would help the government to manage immunization activities, prevent disease outbreaks, and thus prevent fatal outcomes. Curatio International Foundation started implementation of a project that would ensure the effectiveness of health information management. CIF applied evidence-informed solutions and made use of resources in a very tailored and individual approach to each problem. As a result, improved information systems for immunization management, and infectious disease surveillance, have since been endorsed and successfully implemented. CIF obtained quality data that helped accurately determine target child populations, identify every single communicable disease case, determine vaccine needs, and provide accurate immunization coverage. Hence, it became much easier to timely identify and minimize the factors impeding children from being immunized, cover maximum amounts of the child population through vaccination, and consequently to shield 150,000 children annually. Thanks to our new system, during the 2004 measles outbreak, we quickly brought it under control through the identification of cases and their contacts, the implementation of preventive activities, and intensive health education outreach in the affected communities. Our Reformed Immunization and Disease Surveillance Information systems function successfully throughout the country. Needless to say, these systems can serve as a regional model for other countries as well. This project was implemented with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development, in cooperation with the Government of Georgia and the Partners for Health Reform Plus.
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Curatio International Foundation
Evidence-informed approach will reduce the risks of HIV/AIDS Spread
WITH FOCUS ON HIGH RISK GROUPS AND GENERAL POPULATION Georgia is among the countries with relatively low HIV/AIDS prevalence but high potential for developing a widespread epidemic among the population. Newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases have been increasing over the recent years. When a lack of information is present the health of every citizen within the risk group, or beyond, is put under the risk to be exposed to HIV/AIDS. Quality data obtained through effective information management systems is a necessary condition for the success of preventive actions. The information systems that was functional until 2008 failed to provide sufficient and deep epidemiological data on HIV/AIDS, necessary enough to draw explicit conclusions and endorse need-tailored solutions. In 2008 the Curatio International Foundation designed a new HIV/AIDS surveillance system in Georgia. This new system made it possible to gather needed information through different sources: routine surveillance, sentinel surveillance, and Bio Behavioral Surveillance Surveys, that have helped public health workers to improve their understanding of potential epidemic growth among different risk groups of our population. Our reformed surveillance system provides valid data that enables health workers to better answer questions about the epidemic’s spread, a better understand of the impact of new trends on public health, and has contributed to evidenceinformed intervention planning, which has promoted a more targeted and efficient use of resources. The effective controlling of disease prevalence/spread, among/within risk groups, will prevent and reduce the risks of the disease’s spread into the entire population. This effort became possible with the financial support of the Global Fund in collaboration with the National AIDS center, the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, and two local NGOs, experienced in working with high risk groups.
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We bring impacts
Increased accessibility to quality health care services
WITH FOCUS ON THE POOR Accessibility to quality healthcare service is necessary for every citizen. Those below the poverty line are particularly vulnerable because of the financial barriers to healthcare. In mid 2007 the government launched a health insurance program to target 800 000 citizens below the poverty line. According to the idea of the program, the government would pay for health insurance services provided to the poor population from private insurance companies, and thus increase their accessibility to quality health care services, especially for the socially underserved. From the very beginning, the program reached 180 000 individuals with the intention of gradually expanding the program’s coverage to 800 000 individuals over the next year, 2008. In this attempt, two critically important challenges emerged that the state had to respond to: (1) Shortfalls in information reporting and management had been observed especially in the period when the Government of Georgia launched their state health insurance program for the poor, targeting 800 000 under the poverty line. Insurance companies found difficulties in managing large information flows, processing the data, and reporting in an efficient manner. The collected informa-
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Curatio International Foundation
tion from different service providers turned out to be incomparable to each other, and suffered of a poor quality. Accordingly, policy makers lacked accurate information for better policy formulation within the country, which in turn limited their ability to contribute towards the provision of improved quality services to the population. (2) the second most important challenge for the state was to meet their declared responsibilities, and to ensure adequate resource allocation of the state budget for the above-mentioned program to cover the insurance costs for the target population. Therefore, the urgent need for reasonable premium estimations, to guarantee adequate allocations of budgetary resources, had become pivotal. The Curatio International Foundation promptly addressed this issue through engaging in the development of two major concepts embracing core principles for delivering insurance services effectively: (1) Our organization foresaw the improvement of information exchange and reporting systems as an essential grounding for streamlining the information flow between providers, the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, and insurance companies. Through translation and adoption to Georgian reality international classifications for medical interventions the organization contributed to the development of a new standardized information exchange system which will advance reporting and information exchange process among private insurance companies, providers and the Ministry. (2) The Curatio International Foundation assisted the ministry in estimating premiums for the State Program for the Poor, thus ensuring adequate resource allocations in the 2008 and 2009 State Budgets. These reliable calculations helped the government to adequately allocate budgets and provide 800 000 individuals with guaranteed and high-quality services. Thus our efforts contributed to the government’s priority mission of improving the wellbeing of Georgian men and women, children, and the elderly. These efforts became possible within the framework of the USAID funded CoReform project.
QUOTATION “It is almost 10-11 years we have been participating in trainings provided in the field of health care, although none of the trainings have been as beneficial as this one. I deemed how we have been working without ICPC until today, how we managed to set priorities and how the process of reporting worked. Adoption of this system is extremely important for improving the performance of providers as well as their services� by Rusudan Chitaishvili, on behalf of ALDAGI BCI Assistance
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We bring impacts
PROMOTING COMMUNITY-NEED TAILORED POLICIES THROUGH ADVOCACY
Increasing Access to Safe and Lower Cost Drugs to the Citizens
WITH FOCUS ON THE GENERAL POPULATION The Parliament of Georgia passed amendments to the Georgian Law on Drugs and Pharmaceutical Activity on August 10, 2009. The new law, which became effective on October 15, 2009 focuses on simplifying drug registration procedures and supports the sale of drugs not only at pharmaceutical spots, but also in supermarkets and other retail outlets. Thus it improves the overall business climate and promotes a more perfect competitiveness within the pharmaceutical market. This change is beneficial for Georgian citizens and the business community, as on one hand, it offers the most favorable conditions to retailers in terms of reducing barriers related to medications’ import, and free sale and on another hand, increases access of Georgian Citizens to safe and lower-cost drugs. While many importers, wholesalers, and retailers will benefit from the new law, the citizens of Georgia will benefit the most from these changes. With this new law, the people will have access to a greater variety of safe, high quality low-cost medications that will eventually lead to improvement of health and the well being of the Georgian population. The effort of drafting this pharmaceutical bill was put forth by the Curatio International Foundation in the framework of the CoReform project, implemented with the financial support of the USAID.
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Institutional development of Public Health Structures
WITH FOCUS ON THE REGIONS The Curatio International Foundation’s long-term and close collaboration with the public health community has enabled us to identify public health system strengths and weaknesses. One of the shortcomings of the system had been the inadequate funding of critical surveillance activities by the local authorities. This had created system failures that made decisions in meeting the needs of Georgian citizens ineffective. The CIF, in collaboration with its partners, advocated for a centralized financing of the surveillance function, through a dialogue with the policy makers. The public health system had been further disrupted by the legislative changes in 2006 related to local governments. Public health professionals failed to adequately identify and respond to the public health needs, nor to take containment measures -- this put our communities’ health under threat. Our public health structure needed to acquire a new shape and functional framework in order to meet the health related needs of millions of people, and avoid fatal outcomes as a result of dangerous diseases. The Curatio International Foundation initiated assistance to the Georgian Government in public health system strengthening, through its institutional development efforts. On one hand, the CIF assisted in redefining roles, responsibilities, and functions, of the public health system, at the central, regional, and local levels. On the another hand, our organization estimated the financial resource requirements of the municipalities to undertake public health functions, to be funded from central budget allocations. Our efforts were further reflected in budget legislation that ensured the proper and much needed and hand-tailored public health funds. The responsibilities of the central and local governments are stipulated by the Public Health Law, and guarantees adequate regulation of public health activities.
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We bring impacts
Reproductive Health Policy Development Maternal and children’s health, as fundamentals for a healthy community, have long been one of the core focuses of the Curatio International Foundation’s work. Our organization has developed a Reproductive Health Policy document which reflects approaches that ensure delivery of quality reproductive health services to men, women, and children, and for the dissemination of information at any level of health care. This policy was intended to provide direction in the reproductive health sector over a nine year period, 2007–2015. The target date of 2015 represents an end-point for achievement of both the goals included in the International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action, and the Millennium Development Goals. The Reproductive Health Policy Document prepared grounding for developing Georgia’s Reproductive Health Development Strategic plan by the decision-makers and policy makers. This document reflects the short, middle, and long term objectives which incorporate the core principles of reproductive health, and should improve the health of babies, children and women. The effort became possible in the framework of the CoReform project, implemented with the financial support of the USAID.
21 We value our partners
Curatio International Foundation
WE VALUE OUR PARTNERS We would like here to acknowledge our gratitude to our donors and partners for their continuous support. Without them, our success would have been impossible. We are acknowledged to our donors: Adam Smith International Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Eurasia Foundation European Commission (EC) International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF) Open Society Institute, Soros Foundation NY Rockefeller Foundation Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) UK Department for International Development (DFID) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) US Agency for International Development (USAID) World Bank (WB) World Health Organization (WHO)
We are acknowledged to our partners: ABT Associates Inc Public Union Bemoni CARE International
Chemonics International Curatio International Consulting Global Health Council (GHC) HLSP UK International Medical Corps (IMC) Institute for Polling and Marketing (IPM) John Snow Research & Training Institute Inc. (JSI) Kaiser Permanente International London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) Management Sciences for Health (MSH) Partnership for Social Initiatives (PSI) Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) Save the Children Tanadgoma - Informational-Consulting, Medical-Psychological Center University of Toronto
Networks Global HIV/AIDS Initiatives Network (GHIN) Health Systems Resource Centre (HSRC) System Wide Effects of the Global Fund (SWEF) Technical Cooperation Network (TCN)
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Our success hints
OUR SUCCESS HINTS 1. By Dr. Steve Sapirie Director, Information for Management (INFORM) Management Sciences for Health
4. By Amie Bishop, MSW, MPH Senior Program Advisor, PATH
“Working with CIF was always characterized by the involvement of active young people, full of energy and many good ideas. Our work was based on sound planning and pursued with the drive of dedicated staff to fully implement the plans and generate the desired products and results.”
“CIF’s success, in large measure, can be attributed to the absolute dedication of its highly qualified staff, its resultsoriented focus, and its sound stewardship of resources.”
2. By Dr. Steve Sapirie Director, Information for Management (INFORM) Management Sciences for Health
It is a pleasure to work with an organization that takes results seriously, and approaches its work with dedication, competence and a high degree of professionalism. CIF folks are also fun to work with and understanding when things don’s always go as planned.”
“Good planners and effective implementers – not all that common these days.”
3. Nikoloz Pruidze Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs “Recommendations provided by the experts of Curatio always stand out with high quality, deep understanding of health care related issues, and a complex approach. Their recommendations definitely reflect and highlight their combined international experiences”.
5. Nancy P. Harris Vice President, JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc
6. By Amie Bishop, MSW, MPHt Senior Program Advisor, PATH “Curatio International Foundation, as one of the first Georgian NGOs established after independence, has set the bar very high for all other local organizations in terms of staff professionalism, research rigor, program quality. It has been a national leader in advancing health care reform through research and policy analysis nationally and now is able to share its expertise and extend its impact regionally and even globally”
23 Looking forward
Curatio International Foundation
LOOKING FORWARD As in the past, we are strongly positioned to be among the leading Think Tanks, not only in Georgia, but across the region, and to serve people in need. Our leadership and our firm foundation will be confirmed by high quality, unbiased approaches in producing improved policies and health systems for the benefit of the people we serve. We will strive to achieve these goals by:
1. 2. 3.
Expanding research in Georgia and beyond; Furthering our capacity to deliver better evidence and advice; Producing a sound evidence base to influence policy making processes
We look forward to achieving these milestones with the support of our partners, donors, and the whole community.