Georgia’s first lady strongly advocates for newborn and maternal health

"Taking care of women’s rights and empowerment starts with taking care of her health,” Georgia’s first lady Maka Chichua told an international gathering of prenatal health experts.

The wife of President Giorgi Margvelashvili spoke to dozens of local and international experts while opening the 47th International Congress on Pathophysiology of Pregnancy in Tbilisi.

In her address Chichua stressed the importance of sound healthcare for newborns and new mothers, and said the issue was "especially sensitive” for her as she was a citizen and a mother of this country.

The conference aimed to raise awareness of the new challenges facing maternal fetal health, including early screening and prediction of preeclampsia, first trimester screening and more. The event also allowed experts in prenatal health to share their experiences with their international colleagues, stated the agency’s website.

In her opening remarks Chichua highlighted the importance of early childhood development management and early diagnosis of learning disabilities. She also reminded the audience that 2015 had been declared by President Margvelashvili as the Year of Women in Georgia.

In the modern age there were still many problems facing mothers and newborns; Chichua called on the audience to work together to address these issues.

The 47th International Congress on Pathophysiology of Pregnancy was being held in Tbilisi from November 19-21. The event was supported by the Foundation of Georgia’s President.

The first lady’s comments come three days after Georgia’s Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia announced Georgia would introduce a new system to better monitor maternal and newborn health. One part of this was to create an electronic birth registry system.

The new system would further enhance the already available healthcare services for pregnant women and children in Georgia.