The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an agency of the US federal government that falls under the US Department of Health and Human Services.
In Georgia, the CDC works with the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Georgian National Center for Disease Control and Public Health to accelerate progress towards a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats and to promote global health security as an international security priority to:
• Prevent and reduce the likelihood of outbreaks – natural, accidental, or intentional;
• Detect threats early to save lives; and
• Respond rapidly and effectively using multi-sectorial, international coordination and communication.
This collaboration helps advance the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) which aims to accelerate the worldwide implementation of the International Health Regulations. It creates expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability and preparedness for new health threats.
On February 13, 2014, the United States joined 28 other countries, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Organization for Animal Health, to accelerate progress toward a world safe and secure from the threat of infectious disease, and committing to the goals of the GHSA. A weakness in public health and surveillance system for infectious diseases detection in any one country is a threat to all countries. The risk to U.S. national and global interests underscores the need for a coordinated and connected system to detect and respond to emerging, and re-emerging, infectious diseases.
The CDC office in Tbilisi is also a regional office that serves other countries in the South Caucasus region. The CDC partners with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture in Armenia and Azerbaijan to strengthen public health systems and institutions so that they can respond effectively and mitigate public health threats throughout the entire South Caucasus region.
For more information please visit the CDC’s Global Heath Protect and Security website.