Ministry of Labor, Health & Social Affairs

1. Ministry of Labor, Health & Social Affairs SOCIAL SECTOR PRIORITIES: PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE Donors’ Conference Brussels, June 17, 2004 LEVAN JUGELI Deputy Minister, MoLHSA

2. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE Sector specific DO: Reliable delivery of high quality education, enhanced social protection as well as affordable, accessible and quality basic health services being much need for the country's poor

3. Investing in Children: Best investment for the Future of Georgia STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: Maternal and Child Health Primary Health Care Education Child Protection

4. Maternal and Child Health • The high Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), 23.8 per 1,000 live births in 2002, is mainly caused by the high neonatal mortality (16.2). In 2002 the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) was 26 per 1,000 live births. • The main causes of IMR are the inadequacy of perinatal service quality, low awareness of existing health benefit packages and their utilization.

5. Maternal and Child Health • Vaccine Preventable Disease incidence has been reduced, the country received polio free certification in 2002 (zero reporting for Polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus was maintained, diphtheria incidence was reduced from 5.5/100,000 children in 1997 to 0.6 in 2002). • Immunization coverage shows high results (around 90% nationally for all basic antigens). Yet, immunization coverage of remote areas, timely immunization as well as the monitoring and reporting system need still improvement.

6. EDUCATION • Quality of education is suffering - country’s economic crisis - allocation of only about 2 percent of GDP to education. • School facilities cannot provide a healthy and student-friendly environment. • Seventy percent of schools in rural areas and 86 percent in urban settings need reconstruction or repair. • Provision of adequate primary education in remote areas and in settlements with low populations is becoming increasingly difficult.

7. EDUCATION • Teachers’ salaries are below Georgia’s official poverty line. • Only a few number of teachers are trained on and apply interactive learning methods. • Textbooks and other course materials are not provided free of charge and are out of reach for two-thirds of Georgia’s pupils. • A practice of supplementing regular classes - disparity in education.

8. CHILD PROTECTION • Large numbers of children without parental care and protective child-friendly environment • Around 4,736 children located in different type of institutions throughout the country • More then 95 % of them have at least one parent • Estimated 2500 children are in the street, involved in begging, petit-crime and suffering exploitation in work or prostitution

9. IDPs Conflicts Affected Areas • About 250 000 people are displaced as a result of these conflicts, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are administered by de facto secessionist governments that are not recognized by the international community • Most problems related to health, nutrition, education, and child protection and development are likely to be more pronounced in the conflict-affect areas than in Georgia • Nearly 45,000 children are IDPs or refugees whose families have fled ethnic conflict, many of whom live in dilapidated public buildings and suffer from a disproportionately high incidence of health problems.

10. Remaining Reform Agenda Maternal and Child Health • Ensure a co-coordinated and co-operative effort on the part of all government entities and non-governmental organizations involved in programmes to promote safe maternity and medical care for children, as well as primary care and public health programmes • It is necessary to engage women's consultation clinics, maternity hospitals, children's outpatient clinics, children's hospitals and specialized research institutions • Capacity building and awareness on maternal and child care at community and family level is important for reducing morbidity and mortality.

11. Remaining Reform AgendaEducation • For achieving good learning results children need child friendly and healthy school environment • Improvement and rehabilitation of school facilities are necessary • There is an urgent need in up-grading the capacity of the teachers in active learning methodologies

12. Remaining Reform AgendaEducation • Reforming curricula which should include life skills based education • To provide appropriate and free learning materials and textbooks • Implementation of the main objectives of the education policy: • reorganization of the education system • decentralization of management • optimization of physical and financial resources • development of an information system

13. Remaining Reform Agenda Child Protection • Pilot initiatives in the field of child protection such as re-integration of street children in formal schools, inclusion of disabled children, and prevention of abandonment of children should result in policy formulation and in the development of a governmental child welfare system. • Children deprived of parental care and living in institutions should be re-integrated in a protective and caring family environment.

14. Remaining Reform Agenda IDPs and Conflicted Areas • Barriers related to access to the conflict affected areas • International organizations should cooperate to provide basic essential needs for women and children • Youth and women participation will play a key role in peace keeping and peace education

15. ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN To adequately implement these strategies the Government of Georgia will need to do the following: • Effective coordination of multilateral and bi-lateral development partner assistance • Harmonization of approaches and effective utilization of donor assistance and available national resources through various aid instruments like Sector-Wide Approaches etc. • Maintaining high degree of transparency and accountability with the nation and developing partners • Improve government capacity in order to effectively utilize donor assistance