Infectious diseases — Table I
Officially | Officially | Officially | TB – new and relapse cases | Estimated | Officially |
No data | 150 300 (2018)1 | 4 441 (2021)2 | 2 169 (2019)3 | 9 100 [5 700-15 000] (2019)3 | 8 671 (02.02.2021)5 |
HIV situation
As of the beginning of 2021, there are 8 671 people registered with HIV in the republic; UNAIDS estimates that the real figure is nearer 9 100 cases (2019). Despite these low figures, widespread drug use and mass population movements between high prevalence countries (such as Russia and Ukraine) put the country at high risk of an accelerating epidemic.
Since 2004, the country has received two major grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which have been critical to scaling up the country’s National Response to HIV and AIDS. Significant progress has been made in treatment provision: UNAIDS recognises Georgia as a country that provides universal access to ART. However, despite good treatment availability, Georgia still has one of the highest rates of AIDS in Europe. Such a poor outcome for HIV patients is largely due to poor diagnostic capacity that results in delayed diagnoses, as well as poor management of treatment adherence and opportunistic infections.
In 2008-2009 the Georgian government has made a number of important policy changes that acknowledge the positive potential of harm reduction strategies. An important outcome has been the institution of state funding for methadone substitution therapy. However, highly restrictive drugs laws still present significant barriers to the implementation of HR interventions in both civil and correctional settings.