Dear Dr Marina,

Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to me and my colleague Arsen this morning.

I am very happy that you are coming to the conference to share the story of Georgia in cancer control planning.

As discussed and in complement to what we had previously discussed with Dr Amiran (message below), I kindly share below a few points for your consideration:

• Expanding radiotherapy access as part of the Cancer Control Action Plan in Georgia

• Getting buy-in. Highlight important critical steps to secure the engagement and commitment from the various national stakeholders and sectors in the planning phase for the success and sustainability of the implementation of the plan.

• Prioritization of interventions. Highlight the need of having priority interventions according to needs assessment,  evidence and local context. In this context, how did cancer therapy, in particular radiotherapy, contributed to move forward a broader cancer prevention and control agenda.

• Partnership engagement. Highlight the need of partnership identification and engagement as an intrinsic element in cancer control planning. Identify the different value contribution of different partners: financial support, human resource support, and awareness and advocacy

• Linkages with our programmes. Leverage on other health related programmes and share resources with other related programmes while avoiding duplication of efforts (e.g. leverage on resources from NCDs for prevention and risk factor reduction interventions).

• Radiotherapy planning. Highlight the national plan to expand radiotherapy services from a public health perspective taking into account equity in access and making the best use of resources available within the health sector. Here, it would be greatly beneficial if the audience could learn more details about the established model for public-private partnership (PPP), as discussed in the call.

I hope you find this useful, but let me please stress the fact that this is only points for consideration so please do feel free to build the presentation as you see fit.

In order to ensure adequate coordination with the other presentations and the chairperson of the session, I would be grateful if you could share a first draft by  has sufficient time to get a first draft by Monday, 12 June.

Many thanks for your collaboration.

My best regards,

Diogo

Dear Arsen,

I hope my e-mail will find you well.

I am ready to speak with you tomorrow at 13:00 am, by Tbilisi time (by Vienna time - 11:00am). We can speak by skype –call (My skype name is – marmariko).

If we will not be able to have talk in these way, my mobile telefone number is: +995  577 722 642                            

With best regardes,

Marina Darakhvelidze

Head of Health Care Department
Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs 

144 Tsereteli Ave.
Tbilisi 0119, Georgia
Tel: +995 32251 0038 (1102)
mob: 577 722 642
E-mail: mdarakhvelidze@moh.gov.ge

Dear Dr Marina Darakhvelidze,

Further to the e-mail below my colleague Mr Diogo de Sousa Neves and I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you, hopefully tomorrow or on Friday at a time most convenient for you, to discuss the Conference and your specific role.

Looking forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.

Best regards,

Mr Arsen JURIC | Programme Officer |

Division of Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) | Department of Technical Cooperation |

International Atomic Energy Agency | Vienna International Centre, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria |

Email: A.Juric@iaea.org | T: (+43-1) 2600-26784 | F: (+43-1) 2600-26007 |

Visit the PACT website at cancer.iaea.org

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Dear Arsen, dear Diogo,

First of all let me thank you for providing the opportunity for Georgia to participate in the the PACT session “Radiotherapy in the context of National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP)” at the ICARO-2 Conference.

As agreed I forwarded the information to the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs and based on the recommendation of the Deputy Minister  is nominated Dr. Marina Darakhvelidze, Head of the Healthcare Department of the MoH  (mdarakhvelidze@moh.gov.ge) as a representative and speaker from Georgia.

Thanks once again and

With best regards

Amiran

Amiran Gamkrelidze, MD, PhD, Professor

National Center for Disease Control and Public Health

Director General

Tbilisi 0186, 9 M.Asatiani Str.

Phone/Fax: +995 32 2311755

Email: a.gamkrelidze@ncdc.ge

www.ncdc.ge

Dear Dr Amiran,

Thank you very much for taking the time yesterday to speak with me and my colleague Arsen on the PACT session titled “Radiotherapy in the context of National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP)” at the ICARO-2 Conference:

http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/50815/International-Conference-on-Advances-in-Radiation-Oncology-ICARO2

The conference has a global reach and it will be attended by radiation oncology professionals, mostly oncologists, physicists and technicians, from different IAEA Member States. The last ICARO Conference (2009) was attended by approximately 300 professionals.

Whereas there will be a lot of sessions focused on the technological and clinical advances of this cancer treatment modality, the session assigned to PACT is more focused on public health approach required to ensure alignment between radiotherapy advances and investment with a comprehensive health system response. Therefore, we aim at having a session highlighting the benefits of integrating radiotherapy within national cancer control plans/programmes and empowering oncologists in low and middle income countries to participate and be interested in contributing to national cancer control planning processes and mobilization of political action.

The session will consist of three presentations of 20 minutes each followed by a moderated discussion with the audience. The session is proposed to be co-chaired by a representative of PACT and a representative of our Division of Human Health (NAHU), who is a senior radiation oncologist.

The idea of having the case study of Georgia is to present the planning process in advancing cancer prevention and control and how radiotherapy investment has acted as a catalyst for the development of other areas in cancer control. Following the presentation of Georgia, an international expert will guide the audience through the complex process of developing a sound national cancer control plan and leveraging the political commitment to invest in radiotherapy. Finally, a third speaker (most likely a PACT staff) will address the complex topic related to the sustainability of radiotherapy projects/investments and the importance of having an endorsed and funded plan as framework.

Please let me know if the information provided is sufficient at this stage?

Many thanks in advance for your interest and willingness to support this initiative.

Best regards,

Diogo

Diogo de Sousa Neves | Associate Partnership Officer |

Division Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT)|Department of Technical Cooperation|

International Atomic Energy Agency |

Vienna International Centre, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria |

Email:D.De-Sousa-Neves@iaea.org | T: (+43-1) 2600-26093 |

Follow us on www.iaea.org

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Dear Lela,

Thank you – talk to you tomorrow morning as agreed.

Best regards,

Arsen

Dear Arsen,

The phone number is +995 232395803

Have a nice evening.

Best regards,

Lela

Lela Sturua MD PhD MPH

Head, Non-communicable Diseases Department

National Center for Disease Control and Public Health

Tel.: +995 599 111797

E-mail: lela.sturua@ncdc.ge

Dear Lela,

Wednesday, 10 am Tbilisi time is fine with us. We will make the call – please let me know which number to dial.

Best regards,

Arsen

Dear Arsen,

Wednesday morning is preferable for Dr. Amiran.

Can we schedule tentatively 10am Georgian time? If it’s too early please suggest the earliest convenient for you time on Wednesday.

Best regards,

Lela

Lela Sturua MD PhD MPH

Head, Non-communicable Diseases Department

National Center for Disease Control and Public Health

Tel.: +995 599 111797

E-mail: lela.sturua@ncdc.ge

Dear Lela,

That would be great. At this point Wednesday looks better for me – morning or afternoon.

Best regards,

Arsen

Dear Arsen,

Hope you are doing well.

Dr. Amiran is on the business trip.

He’ll be back next week. We can schedule the teleconference on Tuesday or Wednesday.

With best regards,

Lela  

Lela Sturua MD PhD MPH

Head, Non-communicable Diseases Department

National Center for Disease Control and Public Health

Tel.: +995 599 111797

E-mail: lela.sturua@ncdc.ge

Dear Lela,

Hope all is well.

I’d be grateful if you forward the message below and / or liaise directly with Dr Amiran Gmakrelidze to assess his interest and availability for the upcoming IAEA/PACT session of ICARO2.

======

Dear Dr Gmakrelidze,

I have the pleasure in contacting you from the IAEA’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT).

to congratulate Georgia on the notable progress with the National Cancer Control Strategy and Action Plan. We do hope that the imPACT Review recommendations have contributed to the development of a robust set of priority cancer control actions across the continuum.

I take this opportunity to seek your interest and availability to participate in an IAEA/PACT-organized session at the upcoming International Conference on Advances in Radiation Oncology (ICARO2) that will take place in Vienna, Austria 20–23 June 2017.

The title of the session is “Radiotherapy in the context of National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP)”. It would be of interest to share experience from Georgia in mobilising political commitment to invest in radiotherapy services and how this investment acted as a catalyst for enhanced action on comprehensive cancer control. In this context we take note of the notable progress with Georgia’s National Cancer Control Strategy and Action Plan. We do hope that the imPACT Review recommendations have contributed to the development of a robust set of priority cancer control actions across the continuum.

The format is a 20-minute presentation followed by a moderated discussion with the other session presenters, chairpersons and audience.

We will gladly discuss the event to provide further clarification in a teleconference at your earliest convenience.

Many thanks,

Mr Arsen JURIC | Programme Officer |

Division of Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) | Department of Technical Cooperation |

International Atomic Energy Agency | Vienna International Centre, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria |

Email: A.Juric@iaea.org | T: (+43-1) 2600-26784 | F: (+43-1) 2600-26007 |

Visit the PACT website at cancer.iaea.org

Follow @IAEATC | Visit the TC Web site