PHIG enters 2026 with an expanded programme across health workforce intelligence, migration health, accreditation, and research. This article outlines the priorities, partnerships, and expected outputs for the year ahead.
“An institute that cannot articulate what it will do next year has no strategy. PHIG’s 2026 programme is built on evidence of what worked in 2024–2025 and calibrated to the gaps the data show.”
Pkhakadze G. PHIG 2026 Programme Strategy. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2025.[1]
Introduction
The Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG) operates across four programmatic pillars: health workforce intelligence (anchored in the RHWCO), health and migration (anchored in the H&M Observatory), accreditation and quality (anchored in the ASF partnership), and academic publishing (anchored in the Georgian Medical Journal). This article presents the 2026 programme plan across all four pillars, including confirmed funding, partner commitments, and measurable outputs.
| Pillar | Key Activity 2026 | Partner | Funding Status | Target Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Workforce Intelligence | RHWCO Phase 2 launch: expand to Moldova and Ukraine | WHO/Europe | Proposal submitted | Regional workforce data platform |
| Health Workforce Intelligence | National CBME transition plan development | MoLHSA Georgia, DTMU | In negotiation | Policy document + pilot design |
| Health and Migration | H&M Observatory Year 2: expand Ukrainian cohort to n=1,000 | UNHCR, IOM | Confirmed | State of Health and Migration Report 2026 |
| Health and Migration | WHO Competency Standards training: Georgia (400 participants) | WHO/Europe, EU | In negotiation | Training delivery + evaluation |
| Accreditation and Quality | ASF ISQua EEA submission preparation | ISQua | Self-funded | Submission package Q2 2026 |
| Accreditation and Quality | LTC accreditation pilot: 6 Georgian nursing homes | MoLHSA, ASF | In negotiation | Pilot report + policy recommendation |
| Academic Publishing | GMJ DOAJ indexing confirmation | DOAJ | Under review | Indexing decision expected Q1 2026 |
| Academic Publishing | GMJ: 60+ articles published | GMJ editorial board | Self-funded | Annual volume + special issue |
Sources: PHIG Programme Planning Document 2026.[1]
Priority 1: RHWCO Phase 2
The RHWCO Phase 2 expansion to Moldova and Ukraine is PHIG’s single highest-priority new development for 2026. Ukraine’s post-war health workforce situation — characterised by mass emigration of health workers, destroyed health infrastructure, and massive displacement of the population — creates an acute need for health workforce intelligence that the RHWCO’s established methodology can address. Moldova’s proximity to Ukraine and its own significant health workforce challenges (physician density 3.2 per 1,000, below WHO European average) make it a natural regional partner.[2,3]
Figure 1. PHIG 2026 Programme Budget Allocation by Pillar (% of projected total budget)
Source: PHIG 2026 Programme Budget Plan.[1]
Priority 2: ASF ISQua EEA Submission
Submitting the ASF Hospital Standard to the ISQua External Evaluation Association (EEA) programme in 2026 is the most strategically significant accreditation milestone in PHIG’s five-year plan. ISQua EEA accreditation would transform ASF from a regional standards body into an internationally recognised accreditation organisation, giving ASF certifications the same standing as Joint Commission International or Accreditation Canada designations in the eyes of health ministries, insurers, and international funders.[4]
The ISQua EEA process requires submission of the full standard, evidence of field testing, surveyor training documentation, and governance documentation. PHIG has been building this evidence base since 2022; the ASF Hospital Standard has now been field-tested at 41 Georgian facilities, 6 Azerbaijani facilities, and 3 Armenian facilities.[1,4]
| Output | Target | Measurement Method | Accountability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research publications (Scopus-eligible) | ≥8 peer-reviewed articles | Submission and acceptance records | GMJ Editor-in-Chief |
| Training participants | ≥500 across all programmes | Attendance registers | Programme Director |
| Accreditation surveys conducted | ≥15 facilities (ASF standard) | Survey records | ASF Director |
| H&M Observatory data updates | ≥4 quarterly bulletins | Publication dates | Observatory Director |
| RHWCO data submissions | Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan Q1–Q4 | Database update logs | RHWCO Coordinator |
| GMJ articles published | ≥60 | Editorial records | Editor-in-Chief |
| ISQua EEA submission | Submitted by Q3 2026 | Submission receipt | Chair/President |
Sources: PHIG 2026 Programme Planning Document.[1]
Figure 2. PHIG Programme Growth 2021–2026: Key Indicators
Conclusion
PHIG’s 2026 programme represents the institution’s most ambitious year since its founding, with confirmed or near-confirmed activities across all four pillars and a geographic footprint expanding from three to five countries. The critical dependencies are RHWCO Phase 2 WHO funding confirmation (expected Q1 2026), MoLHSA agreement on the CBME development partnership, and the ISQua EEA submission timeline. PHIG’s Board has approved the 2026 plan; execution will be reported in the 2027 programme review.
References
- Pkhakadze G. PHIG Programme Strategy 2026. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2025.
- WHO Regional Office for Europe. Republic of Moldova: Health System Review. Copenhagen: WHO/Europe; 2023.
- WHO. Ukraine Health Workforce Crisis: Situation Analysis 2024. Geneva: WHO; 2024.
- International Society for Quality in Health Care. ISQua External Evaluation Association Programme Guide 2024. Dublin: ISQua; 2024.
- World Bank. Georgia Health4Life Programme: Year 2 Review. Washington DC: World Bank; 2025.
Public Health Institute of Georgia
