The Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia hosted an event to mark the 30th anniversary of US-Georgia diplomatic relations at the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health: “US Role in Developing and Strengthening Public Health in Georgia within 30 Years of Diplomatic Relations”
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Refugees, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of the Occupied Territories of Georgia – Mr Zurab Azarashvili, US Ambassador to Georgia – Ms Kelly Degnan, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Representation Director – Mr Charles Whitek, Director of the Walter Reed Army Research Institute (WRAIR) Georgia Office – Mr Matthew Shearer, Head of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, and other invited guests.
The event was opened with a historical excursion. The exposition featured various visuals reflecting the collaboration and results achieved over 30 years. During the meeting, a screening of a short documentary film was held, which highlights important aspects of Georgian-American cooperation.
CDC Director Rochelle Valensky greeted the audience with a video address.
The result of important and fruitful partnerships and support is that today Georgia is an outstanding partner in the international arena for many countries, including in 3 main areas, namely:
Capacities and Potential of the Lugar Center – The region is an important scientific hub for developing the capacity of both local and regional countries.
As part of the United States Government’s Global Health Security Program (GHSA), Georgia, along with the Kingdom of Norway, is a leader in the Real-Time Surveillance Package and a supporter of the Laboratory Surveillance and Zoonotic Infections Package;
The flagship program of “Hepatitis C Elimination” through Georgia has attracted special attention from the world medical and scientific community and is one of the leading countries in the world where the disease should be eliminated soon.
