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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: 
Avaliani, Nata
Regional Director
AIHA Caucasus
Tel. (99532) 230509
nata.avaliani@access.sanet.ge

 
USAID-funded Event Will Focus on Disseminating Best Practices in Primary Prevention and Care

WASHINGTON, DC, and TBILISI, GEORGIA, November 23, 2006—The American International Health Alliance (AIHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe will co-host a conference on chronic diseases November 29-30 at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia. The two-day event is supported by the American people through funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The global burden of chronic ailments such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, and cancer—as well as the specific impact of non-communicable diseases on the health status of people in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—will be discussed at the event, as will effective methods for primary prevention and management of chronic conditions. Worldwide, approximately 60 percent of all deaths are caused by chronic diseases. In Eastern Europe, that number is in excess of 85 percent and threatens to drain already limited healthcare resources and funding.

WHO experts will showcase the findings of a recent study titled, Preventing Chronic Diseases: A Vital Investment, and share WHO/Europe’s strategy for addressing non-communicable diseases. Officials from the ministries of health of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia will report the latest statistics on chronic diseases and related programs in their respective countries while AIHA staff and partners who are working on the frontlines by providing primary care to people throughout the region will highlight some of their successful strategies for managing chronic conditions.

Participants will develop recommendations for national action plans to address non-communicable diseases and the networks for devising, implementing, and replicating effective chronic disease interventions at district, national, and regional levels will be strengthened. USAID representatives and healthcare professionals working with local and international health-related organizations are also expected to participate in the conference.

Created in 1992 by a consortium of major healthcare provider associations and professional medical education organizations, AIHA establishes and manages programs and twinning partnerships between health-related institutions in the United States and their counterparts in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, and the Caribbean. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), funded by the American people, provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries to provide a better future for all.

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