Lia Mikaberidze MD, Phd candidate

Delivered courses in medical anthropology to fourth-year medical students, focusing on the cultural, social, and ethical dimensions of healthcare. Teaching and mentoring in medical anthropology with a focus on health systems, cultural competence, and reproductive health.

• Integrating field experience into curriculum design and academic collaboration in health policy and program evaluation.
• Coordinator of the Medical Student Portfolio Program at Tbilisi Medical Academy, overseeing academic development, reflective practice, and competency-based assessment.

Reproductive Health Consultant
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Tbilisi
October 2010 – Present

• Lead technical expert for the WHO "Beyond the Numbers" (BTN) initiative in Georgia, focused on maternal mortality surveillance and response.
• Provide technical assistance to the National Council for Reproductive Health and the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Council, managing key technical working groups.
• Conduct systematic analyses of Georgia’s reproductive health landscape to support evidence-based policy and programming.
• Collaborate with national stakeholders to develop guidelines and protocols on reproductive health, gender-based violence, and family planning.
• Advise the Ministry of Health on surrogacy regulation and maternal near-miss case reviews; support abortion legislation analysis and interventions addressing sex-selective abortion.
• Maintain strategic partnerships with governmental and international stakeholders for effective multisectoral collaboration.

Consultant, Midwifery Programs – Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA)
UNFPA (Contract, Remote)
November 2024 – Present

• Strengthening the National Midwives' Association through program design and institutional development.
• Supporting regional midwifery policy advancement and education reform.
• Coordinating strategic planning for the Georgia Midwifery Development Strategy.
• Facilitating close cooperation with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) to align with international standards.
• Promoting midwifery leadership in maternal and newborn health, including integrating midwifery into national obstetrics services.
• Leading collaborative projects with the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia.

Healthcare Analyst
SOS International (Contract, Remote)
April 2024 – September 2024

• Authored national-level health system reports (public health, psychiatry, and oncology) to inform international operations.
• Provided in-depth analysis of healthcare infrastructure, service availability, policy frameworks, and key health indicators.
• Delivered high-level insights for strategic decision-making in international medical coordination and support.
  - Coordinated the WHO project “Beyond The Numbers,” focusing on reproductive health improvements.
  - Providing technical assistance to the National Reproductive Health Council and Mother and Child Health (MCH) Council, supporting the activities of technical working groups. (2010-2012yy)
  - Conducting systematic analysis of the reproductive health landscape.
  - providing technical support in developing national guidelines and protocols for Reproductive Health (RH), Gender Equality (GE), and Domestic Violence (DV).
  - Collaborated with the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC&PH) to regularly analyze maternal mortality and morbidity trends in Georgia.
  - Contributed to surrogacy regulation development in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Healthcare Committee of the Georgian Parliament, and the Ministry of Justice.
  - Worked on abortion and sex-selective abortion regulations, providing technical assistance to international experts assessing these issues in Georgia.
  - Assisted in adapting the "Manual for Health Professional Training: Strengthening Health System Responses to Gender-Based Violence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia" (UNFPA; WAVE).
  - Partnered with key local and international stakeholders, including the Ministry of Labour, Health, and Social Affairs, the Georgian Parliament, international donors, NGOs, and implementing partners to ensure effective coordination and information sharing in the health and reproductive health sectors.

Provided technical support for the development and implementation of key health initiatives, including:The national regionalization system for antenatal and perinatal care, The implementation of the Near Miss Case Review (NMCR) system in Georgia, The establishment of the Obstetric Surveillance and Response System (OSRS) in Georgia.