On December 16, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office held a working meeting to discuss the results of the pilot project aimed at introducing the WHO methodology Beyond the Numbers (BTN) in Georgia.

This approach has already been implemented in 14 European countries under the direct initiative of WHO/UNFPA and has significantly contributed to the reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality, and consequently, to the improvement of maternal health. It should be noted that with the support of UNFPA, Beyond the Numbers (BTN) methodology has been implemented in Georgia since 2016, through pilot projects in 16 medical facilities.

Representatives of the Ministry of Health of Georgia, perinatal centres and UNFPA, as well as relevant experts participated in the meeting and in depth discussions of issues such as: the principles and methodology of studying and reviewing near-miss cases, the results of and challenges related to the implementation of the methodology; the participants of the meeting discussed the prospects of the project expansion and the development of an action plan for the further improvement of the methodology to be used in the facilities participating in the pilot project.  

In any country, maternal and new-born health is one of the most important indicators of public health and well-being and simultaneously it is a reason for concern. Despite the progress Georgia has made in this direction over the last decade, the country is still ranked among the ones with the highest maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Europe.

Based on the country's priorities, one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which Georgia has undertaken to achieve, is ensuring universal access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services by 2030 (SDG 3, Target 7); And one of the objectives of this SDG is to achieve a significant reduction in maternal mortality. 

It is noteworthy that among the cases of maternal deaths, the causes that can be prevented with proper medical supervision and timely and adequate intervention prevail. The innovative methodology - Beyond the Numbers (BTN) for identifying and studying cases of maternal mortality and severe morbidity proposed by the World Health Organization envisages the introduction of clinical audit as a quality monitoring tool and an instrument for the timely identification of risks related to intrapartum period in order to ensure safe motherhood in Georgia.