Healthcare in Georgia is provided by a universal health care system under which the state funds medical treatment in a mainly privatized system of medical facilities. In , the enactment of a universal health care program triggered universal coverage of government-sponsored medical care of the population and improving access to health care services.
From to , the Georgian health system was part of the Soviet system. Till health care system in Georgia was based on Soviet Semashko model. Mandatory social health insurance was abolished after the Rose Revolution. This meant that a portion of the population could not access health insurance. The state retained control over a few medical facilities dealing with mental illness and infectious diseases, while all other hospitals and clinics were privatized.
Implementation of universal healthcare was a key priority of the Georgian Dream party, which came to power in the election. It established the current Georgian healthcare system from Since , there has been a radical change of direction in health financing policy as a new government embraced the move towards universal health coverage rather than targeted benefits. The average life expectancy in Georgia, estimated by the World Bank Group, was In the total fertility rate is 2.
Live birth rate is In infant mortality rate was 9. By , the Maternal mortality rate is expected to drop to 12, and the under-5 mortality rate is expected to drop to 6. Maternal mortality is In Georgia, as with most countries, mortality burden is mostly due to non-communicable diseases. The major causes of death are diseases of the circulatory system, neoplasms, diseases of respiratory system and accidents and injuries. Infectious diseases are still the source of significant health problems, especially MDR tuberculosis.
The health care system in Georgia is highly decentralized and was extensively privatized from to Regulations are also very liberal and MoLHSA is now working to ensure the quality of care provided is adequate. SSA's territorial offices are located at 68 municipalities and more than are employed in them [ 16 ]. The NCDC provides national leadership in preventing and controlling communicable and non-communicable diseases through developing national standards and guidelines, health promotion, disease surveillance, immunization, laboratory work, research, providing expert advice, and responding to public health emergencies.
