Subject: RE: World Bank webinar on COVID-19
From: Tamar Gabunia </O=EXCHORGANIZATION/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=E6CA04F38EC94D0CADAB9CBDF90FCDDE-TAMAR G>
To: Jennifer Rae Anderson <[email-masked]>, Iryna Postolovska <[email-masked]>
Cc: Nino V. Moroshkina <[email-masked]>; Nato Kvernadze </o=ExchOrganization/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=8b9a169321f24946881f0b1c8980294c-Nato Kv>; Volkan Cetinkaya <[email-masked]>; Carmen Del Rio Paracolls <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 May 2020 05:25:59 +0000

Dear Jennifer

Many thanks for your email and questions for the panel discussion.

Look forward to sharing Georgia experience.

პატივისცემით,

თამარ გაბუნია

მინისტრის პირველი მოადგილე

Sincerely,

Tamar Gabunia, MD, MPH

First Deputy Minister

From: Jennifer Rae Anderson [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: 12 May, 2020 05:52
To: Iryna Postolovska <[email-masked]>; Tamar Gabunia <[email-masked]>
Cc: Nino V. Moroshkina <[email-masked]>; Nato Kvernadze <[email-masked]>; Marika Ghadua <[email-masked]>; Volkan Cetinkaya <[email-masked]>; Carmen Del Rio Paracolls <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: World Bank webinar on COVID-19

Dear Tamar,

Following up Ira's email, below please find the draft panel questions for your reflection and comment.  If you have any comments or concerns, let us know.  Also attached again is the invite, which we encourage you to share with interested colleagues.

Georgia:

Madam Minister: Georgia seems to have had very few cases of COVID-19 and only around 10 deaths. Yet the lockdown and restrictions on economic activity have been quite strong. Can you tell us a little about whether, and if so, how the increased spending promised by the Ministry of Finance has helped you fight the pandemic? Are there other changes to fiscal or monetary policy that make your job easier, or more difficult?

Possible follow up question: How do you think health will fare in the recovery phase when other sectors will need considerable funding?

We look forward to your participation on Wednesday.  A reminder that we are asking panelists to join the Webex meeting 10 minutes prior to its start at 8am EDT.

Best regards,

Jennifer

From: Iryna Postolovska <[email-masked]>
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2020 8:59 PM
To: Tamar Gabunia <[email-masked]>
Cc: Nino V. Moroshkina <[email-masked]>; Nato Kvernadze <[email-masked]>; Marika Ghadua <[email-masked]>; Volkan Cetinkaya <[email-masked]>; Jennifer Rae Anderson <[email-masked]>; Carmen Del Rio Paracolls <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: World Bank webinar on COVID-19

Dear Tamar,

I am very glad that you can join us for this event. I am attaching the calendar invitation with the Webex details, and below a few further details about the agenda for the event.

The majority of the allotted time will be a panel discussion facilitated by the chair(s).  Panelists are not required to prepare a presentation. We will share a few questions in advance, and the final agenda will be confirmed and shared shortly.

·         Welcome (5 min)

·         Introductory remarks (10 min)

·         Chair(s) introduce panelists (10 min)

·         Q&A panel discussion (60 min)

·         Chair(s) close webinar (5 min)

Webinar Description

“Fiscal and Monetary Policies in the COVID-19 Response: Exploring the effects on Health Financing”

COVID-19 has hit countries with a double shock:  health and economic.  As the Coronavirus spreads, health spending needs rise, then disease control measures result in declining economic activity.   Large falls in economic growth rates are predicted for countries of at income levels in 2020. Countries have responded with a range of fiscal and monetary instruments to raise money for the response, to support vulnerable households and businesses, and to bolster the economy.  The impact of these policies on health financing is not yet well understood, one of the purposes of this Webinar. While this is an immediate shock to health financing resilience, there are also opportunities countries can take which will help them emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with health financing that is more resilient to future shocks and more sustainable in the long term.  To support countries to meet these goals, the World Bank, the Global Financing Facility (GFF), and the Revisiting Health Financing Technical Initiative from the Joint Learning Network (JLN) have joined forces to facilitate health financing response monitoring, access to the growing knowledge base and mutual learning – this webinar is one of the scheduled activities.

In the first of this webinar series, government experts from finance and health will discuss what fiscal and monetary policies have been implemented in their countries during the COVID-19 crisis, why, and whether there is any evidence of their impact as yet. Panelists will reflect on the resulting short- and medium-term implications for health financing.  This virtual event will be jointly chaired by World Bank and IMF and is co-sponsored by the Joint Learning Network and the Global Financing Facility.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Again, many thanks for joining us.

Best regards,

Ira

From: Tamar Gabunia <[email-masked]>
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2020 11:06 AM
To: Volkan Cetinkaya <[email-masked]>
Cc: Iryna Postolovska <[email-masked]>; Nino V. Moroshkina <[email-masked]>; Nato Kvernadze <[email-masked]>; Marika Ghadua <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: World Bank webinar on COVID-19

[External]

Dear Volkan

Thanks a lot for letting me know. I would be delighted to join May 13th session and also act as a panelists.

Looking forward to participating in the upcoming event.

Best

Tamar

From: Volkan Cetinkaya [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: 7 May, 2020 17:33
To: Tamar Gabunia <[email-masked]>
Cc: Iryna Postolovska <[email-masked]>; Nino V. Moroshkina <[email-masked]>
Subject: World Bank webinar on COVID-19

Dear Tamar,

I am writing to gauge your availability and interest to participate in a World Bank webinar to explore the impact of fiscal and monetary policies in response to COVID-19 on health financing in the short- and medium-term. It will be the first in a series of events with senior officials from Ministries of Finance and Health and other experts on health financing resilience and sustainability in times of COVID-19. These events are part of a community of practice on health financing resilience, a joint effort of the World Bank, the Global Financing Facility, and the Joint Learning Network.

Ira and I thought it would be great to invite you as a panelist to speak from the health perspective, especially since Georgia is doing quite well and has a comprehensive plan. Plus, you could also speak a bit about the social protection element if needed.

This first webinar will take place next Wednesday (May 13) at 8:00 AM EDT. If the date doesn’t work for you, we hope to have you joint a later event in the series.

Ira has been part of the team organizing this event, she would be able to answer any additional question you may have.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Volkan