TBILISI STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION 2002 January/March, Volume 2, Issue 1 28 Impact of Social-economical Determinantson the State of Women and Children in Georgia Nata Kazakhashvili*, Nino Gerzmava **, Ekaterina Sioridze*** *Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs **Department of Gynecology, Tbilisi State Medical University ***Tbilisi Maternity House #2 Abstract The study has analyzed the impact of social-economical determinants on the health status of women and children in Georgia. Specifically, various long-term data, such as reflecting the health status of women and children, birth and death rates, depth and severity of poverty, were collected and generalized. The data used for the study were provided by The State Department of Statistics of Georgia, the Center of Medical Statistics and Information of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia and the State Insurance Company. The results of the study demonstrate that circumstances developed in the country during the last years, frequent stressful situations, poverty, malnutrition, lack of vitamins and micronutrients, increased number of incidents of iodine deficiency related diseases, and a low level of prophylactic activities have severely affected the health status of the population. The tendencies toward worsening of the status of reproductive health, obviously, negatively affect newborns. The comparison study of birth and poverty rates has displayed that those regions, where poverty depth rates are high, have lower birth rates. Apparently, this paradoxical phenomenon will require further research in collaboration with competent experts. Keywords: social-economical determinants, depth of poverty, severity of poverty, infant health, birth rate Introduction he state of women and children is very sensitive to changes of socioeconomic conditions. The leading socioeconomic determinants of the status of women and children include amount of income, level of education and employment. Numerous researchers suggest that financial status of the family, conditions of life, employment of parents and other socioeconomic factors play a fundamental role as regards morbidity of women and children. According to the confident information provided by highly authoritative research centers the status of women and children significantly depends on the economical potential of the country and the overall level of life in the country. After cessation of the civil war and ethno-conflicts the government of Georgia started implementing economic reform programs. This considered stringent monetary control; reformation of tax structure; drastic reduction of state subsidies; liberalization of prices; reform of the monetary and trade system; stabilization of the national currency; reform of the banking system; and reform of the health and social care sphere. Execution of the above-mentioned measures represents a long, complicated and painful process that occurs simultaneously with a transitional period. T