Accessing sexual and reproductive health services is a major challenge for women living in Georgia’s hard-to-reach rural communities. Long travel distances, limited healthcare infrastructure, and low aware-ness of available services often make it difficult for women to get the medical support and information they need. To help overcome these barriers, UNFPA took part in the joint Telemedicine project that aims to enhance healthcare access and quality for women in Georgia through the implementation of digital healthcare solutions.
As part of a broader partnership with WHO, UNICEF and UNOPS – each agency working in its own direction – UNFPA led efforts in sexual and reproductive health. These efforts included providing comprehensive support for women throughout their pregnancies, ensuring they received expert care at every stage. Building on this, the project also offered life-saving cervical cancer screenings, helping detect and prevent one of the most common threats to women’s health. To further strengthen the healthcare system, an online training module was developed for family doctors, enhancing the skills of primary care providers. Complementing this project, UNFPA established the “Expert Hub,” a virtual space where rural obstetricians and gynecologists could consult with peer specialists on complex cases. To empower expectant mothers directly, the project introduced a digital e-Book filled with vital information for each phase of pregnancy. Rounding out these efforts, Parents’ Schools were launched at maternity clinics nationwide, offering educational support to new and expecting parents in a welcoming, community-based setting. While Georgia’s transition to digital healthcare faces many challenges, including the need for clear policies, user-friendly services, and adequate time and support for healthcare workers to adopt new models of healthcare service delivery, UNFPA in Georgia has made meaningful progress, particularly in advancing women’s sexual and reproductive health. As a result of these efforts, telemedicine has become more accessible, better understood, and increasingly embraced, thanks to a powerful mix of technology, training, and community outreach.
The case study has been prepared within the project “Minimizing the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak in Georgia through telemedicine and digital health solutions”, which is implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), in cooperation with the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, and with the support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
