Isabel Mestres: Starting in 2024, cancer diagnostic tests will be reimbursed in Georgia

Isabel Mestres, CEO at City Cancer Challenge Foundation, shared on LinkedIn:

“On November 3rd, the Government of Georgia, announced a game-changing decision: starting in 2024, cancer diagnostic tests will be reimbursed.
Congratulations to Georgia the City Cancer Challenge team!

Back in 2019, C/Can identified in Tbilisi, Georgia the need to adopt evidence-based guidelines and to increase the financial coverage of treatment and diagnostics. Following a request of the Ministry of Health, C/Can engaged with the local stakeholders to provide comprehensive evidence and informed projections to support the decision-making process for inclusion of cancer diagnostics in the Universal Healthcare Program.

C/Can local stakeholders, with the support of PwC and the financial contribution of the Swiss Embassy in Georgia:
Developed comprehensive cancer diagnostic test packages for all types of cancer, aligning with cancer management guidelines.
Determined transparent pricing for diagnostic test packages across the 7 cancer centres of Georgia.
Presented a detailed budget impact forecast, backed by epidemiological data, for the inclusion of diagnostic reimbursement.

In August 2023, C/Can local team handed over these outputs to the Ministry of Health and… you know the results

This marks a significant milestone as Georgia closes one of its biggest gaps in cancer control, enhancing accessibility to the entire spectrum of cancer care.

Kudos to everyone who made this achievement possible, in particular Tamar Gabunia, Nia Sharikadze, Urs Beer, Nino Cholokashvili, MBA, Natia Verdzadze, Mathieu Morand, Alfredo Polo, Michael Gone, Sophie Bussmann-Kemdjo, Martha Ordoñez, Harold Cottin, Gvantsa Khizanishvili MD, MPH and all C/Can partners.
Together, we’re making a difference for Georgian cancer patients.

Source: Isabel Mestres/LinkedIn