Subject: RE: HCV Elimination in Georgia
From: "Sopo Belkania" <[email-masked]>
To: Morgan, Juliette (CDC/CGH/DGHP) <[email-masked]>
Cc: Averhoff, Francisco (CDC/OID/NCHHSTP) <[email-masked]>;
Date: Wed, 10 May 2017 15:48:19 +0400

Dear Juliette,

I am writing you regarding the call arrangements. Please be informed that suitable time for the Minister for conference call is 11 of May, any time after 17:00 (Tbilisi time).

Looking forward for your confirmation.

Sincerely,

Sopo Belkania

Head of Executive Department

Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia

144 A.Tsereteli Avenue, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia

Mobile number: +995 599 22 32 32

From: David Sergeenko [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2017 1:49 PM
To: Morgan, Juliette (CDC/CGH/DGHP); Averhoff, Francisco (CDC/OID/NCHHSTP)
Cc: Gamkrelidze, Amiran (CDC ncdc.ge); Irinka Tskhomelidze; Sopo Belkania
Subject: Re: HCV Elimination in Georgia

Dear Juliette

Thank you very much !

This project is really can be transformed as an example of unique partnership for fighting to such ambitious global health challenge, when all countries can learn from Georgian experience.

Therefore I think this is great opportunity to everyone to reach such outstanding results.

After coming back from Amsterdam I had meeting with elimination project board and we have identified some critical points-

- Need for much more broad and active screening/PR  campaign;

Upgrade of existing database (by linking main one with screening's database);

One more revising of existing business process for patient inclusion;

More simplification of diagnostic package;

Drafting of some regulations package for "Negative/Positive Stimulation for screening;

Tailoring new approaches for identified risk groups (30-50 age mans/PWID).

This is not complete list of tasks, but I think key ones.

Regarding call arrangement I will ask Mrs. Sopo Belkania  [email-masked]   to be in touch with you.

Regarding sharing of draft agenda to all members- you are welcome.

Best Regards

David

From: "Morgan, Juliette (CDC/CGH/DGHP)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 May 2017 09:18:14 +0000
To: Davit Sergeenko <[email-masked]>, "Averhoff, Francisco (CDC/OID/NCHHSTP)" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Gamkrelidze, Amiran (CDC ncdc.ge)" <[email-masked]>, Irinka Tskhomelidze <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: HCV Elimination in Georgia

Dear Minister,

A new stage indeed, but one with many opportunities for creative approaches, as you mention.

As Francisco already stated, your personal commitment to the Elimination Program is impressive. I am not sure when you will have a chance to sleep with this heavy burden of work, but we look forward to supporting you and your team as much as we can. The toasts we make during the supras honoring the partnerships are very true: this effort has brought together invaluable partnerships, starting with all the Georgian stakeholders to ECHO, LIFER, FIND, Abbot, Ceheid, and Gilead of course (and more to come!). All of these partners, including ourselves, are extremely excited about playing a role in this Program. We know the world is watching and anxious to learn from this experience; being able to contribute to this is an honor for all of us.

Please let us know what day next week would work to schedule a call. If it is agreeable with you, we will draft agenda to be shared for input from all members.

Kind regards,

Juliette

Dr. Juliette Morgan

Medical Epidemiologist, CAPT US PHS

CDC Country Director
South Caucasus CDC Office

Phone: +(995 32) 224 46 61

Fax:     +(995 32) 224 46 59

Mobile:  +(995) 599 577 743

NCDC, #9 M Asatiani Str.

Tbilisi, 0186, Georgia

Email: [email-masked]

From: David Sergeenko [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2017 11:08 AM
To: Averhoff, Francisco (CDC/OID/NCHHSTP) <[email-masked]>
Cc: Gamkrelidze, Amiran (CDC ncdc.ge) <[email-masked]>; Irinka Tskhomelidze <[email-masked]>; Morgan, Juliette (CDC/CGH/DGHP) <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: HCV Elimination in Georgia

Dear Francisco

Thank you very much for your kind letter.

You are absolutely right  underlining  need for more intensive communication.

As we are facing new stage of elimination project, when patients knowing about their disease already accomplished (or under) treatment and

now we have to be very proactive and  creative to involve more patients, we would need more intensive utilization of existing tools and (by other hand)

Implementation of new ones.

So let's arrange conference call and regarding participants, I think full engagement of team members will be good.

Best Regards

David

From: "Averhoff, Francisco (CDC/OID/NCHHSTP)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 May 2017 20:59:15 +0000
To: Davit Sergeenko <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Gamkrelidze, Amiran (CDC ncdc.ge)" <[email-masked]>, Irinka Tskhomelidze <[email-masked]>, "Morgan, Juliette (CDC/CGH/DGHP)" <[email-masked]>
Subject: HCV Elimination in Georgia

Dear Dr. Sergeenko,

We wanted to follow-up with and congratulate you following very successful EASL meeting, Georgia is truly the Global Leader for HCV Elimination!  Now that Mr. Valeri has stepped down, we understand that you will assume the position of lead for the HCV Elimination Program personally, and Irina will continue as a liaison/POC.  We are of course honored to have you prioritize this program personally.  We would like to propose a call, perhaps in the next week, to go over how best to facilitate communications, the priorities for the program, and how to address challenges together.  We believe a call every two weeks (twice per month) would be a good idea.

For the first call, we will send a follow-up e-mail detailing our thoughts on next steps, some of the priorities, as identified in Amsterdam which should include: 1) enhancing screening and linkage to care; 2) Extension of services to harm reduction sites; and 3) introduction of simplified regimens, including the use of SOF/VEL (Epclusa) that will allow for removal of genotype testing.  Of course we also need to discuss implementing the additional recommendations from TAG 2016, and reporting back on progress at the TAG 2017 meeting in November this year.

Let us know if you agree, or any concerns, and we will plan a call in the next few weeks.  I think some of the key participants for our calls should include, from CDC, Juliette, Beth, Muazzam, Nancy, and me; but I include just Juliette here, in case you prefer more limited communications.

Best, FA

Francisco Averhoff MD, MPH

CAPT US Public Health Service

Associate Director for Global Health

Division of Viral Hepatitis

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road, MS G-37

Atlanta, GA 30333

phone: 404-718-8501

fax: 404-718-8588

e-mail: [email-masked]