Good health at an affordable price

Georgia remains one of the poorest countries of the former Soviet Union. We believe health care services should be available and affordable to all, yet people in Georgia who can't afford vital medicines have to go without.

Despite the government's aim to offer free health care, in reality patients end up paying for medicines, food and even heating in their hospital wards.

How Oxfam is helping

Oxfam is making health care available to around 36,000 vulnerable people through medical schemes run by our partner organisations. Scheme members pay a small quarterly fee to receive basic treatment and medicines.

Learn more

Read more examples of our work in Georgia:

• Development

Making a living

Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges facing Georgia. In the early 1990s, the population of Samegrelo region doubled with the arrival of large numbers of people fleeing conflict in neighbouring Abkhazia. For these internally displaced people, life is especially hard.

How Oxfam is helping

We offer poor and displaced people loans at low interest rates to help them set up or develop businesses. Clients are given help to prepare professional business plans and they receive continued support every step of the way. So far we've helped create 300 new jobs in Samegrelo.

  Before this wood-processing workshop I had a hazelnut plantation. But that only gave me work for two months of the year. Having this business is more stable for me and gives me a regular wage.

Roman Gabisonia, Samegrelo

Other development work

• Supporting organisations that help keep the government accountable through monitoring and evaluation
• Tackling domestic violence

Oxfam's work in Georgia in depth