The participants of the Youth Program on Promoting Access to Healthcare Services organized meetings with the “Dimeli Women” 

2023-06-29

On June 24, in the village of Dimi, Baghdati municipality, the United Nations Association of Georgia, as part of the USAID Unity Through Diversity Program, partnered with the association Hera XXI to organize informative meetings at the "La Mart" hotel. These meetings aimed to discuss women's health matters, such as vaccination, screening, and the various programs and services offered in Georgia.  

The sessions were facilitated by the participants of the Youth Program on Promoting Access to Healthcare Services, which is a component of the USAID Unity Through Diversity Program. The facilitators also included volunteers from the Kutaisi Youth Center and representatives from the Hera XXI association.  

The village of Dimi hosted meetings organized by the local community organization called "Dimeli Women." These meetings adopted a Q&A format, allowing for interactive discussions with the audience. The initial part of the meetings primarily addressed screening, particularly emphasizing cervical cancer and breast cancer screening, as well as the programs and services offered in Georgia. To facilitate open information exchange, this portion of the meetings exclusively involved women, both as speakers and audience members. 

The subsequent segment of the meetings was fully dedicated to educating the residents of Dimi village about vaccinations for both children and adults. This encompassed information regarding the vaccines listed in the "National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations".  

Informational materials regarding vaccination and screening were disseminated throughout the course of the meetings. 

The objective of the USAID Unity Through Diversity Program is to promote the social and economic inclusion of various segments of Georgian society, including ethnic minorities, rural communities, and vulnerable groups. A crucial aspect of this initiative involves ensuring that individuals possess accurate information about health matters, state services, and their rights. Access to vaccination and screening services play a pivotal role in maintaining public health. However, a significant barrier to the utilization of these programs and services is the population's limited awareness and disinformation regarding vaccination and screening. The aforementioned meetings and their content aimed to address this issue and shed light on the importance of accurate information in overcoming such barriers.  

Since 1998, Hera XXI Association has been actively engaged in the realm of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Their work encompasses facilitating access to services and promoting the dissemination of information pertaining to sexual and reproductive health. Within the context of the meetings, the association's role entailed informing the residents of Dimi village about the available services offered by the "National Screening Program" in Georgia, which involves screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer.