Pregnant women throughout Georgia are invited to attend free virtual sessions led by top gynecologists and have answers to their most pressing questions answered, - reads the statemet by UNICEF.

"UNICEF is partnering with the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health to reach out to approximately 26,000 registered pregnant women in Georgia and offer them virtual consultations with gynecologists. Since June 2020, leading doctors have organized online consultations for more than 5000 pregnant women. UNICEF is calling on pregnant women to register and use this opportunity once they are contacted by phone and are invited to the sessions. The virtual sessions are organized to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19. During the online consultations each woman receives individual attention from the doctor. The sessions gather up to 25 pregnant women together via the virtual platform and allow them to learn about the issues connected with pregnancy from both the clinician and their peers.

“Pregnancy is a special time, full of excitement and anticipation. But for expectant mothers facing the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, fear, anxiety and uncertainty are clouding this otherwise happy time”, says Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.

“To answer this need for reliable information, UNICEF has launched these online consultations and we are calling on all pregnant women to join the sessions and access competent advice and recommendations on how to keep themselves and their babies safe”, added Khalil.

During its initial phase, the project involved women living in the districts most affected by the Coronavirus - like Marneuli and Bolnisi municipalities - and who have had to stay under the strict quarantine restrictions. The sessions include discussions about COVID-19 and allows time for questions and answers. Every participant can ask a question, while staying anonymous and all participants will hear the doctor’s reply to their queries.

The project is supported by UN Joint Funds. The working experience gathered from this project will serve as a basis for the development of a telemedicine programme for low-risk pregnancies to become a new model for antenatal care delivery in Georgia.", - it is said in the statement.