Why is it important?

The first reported HIV infection in Iran was discovered in 1987. The situation rapidly changed when it was realized that there is a high level of HIV prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) in two prisons. This outbreak led the country into a rapid progression phase, which has since slowed down.  Currently, the country is considered to have a “concentrated” HIV epidemic.

In order to fight this serious challenge to human development and support the country’s progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, which is to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, the project “Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in I.R. Iran through Public, Civil Society and Private Partnerships” was initiated in 2005. The project was the start of a partnership between the Government of Iran, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria (GFATM) and UNDP. As the Principal Recipient (PR) of the grant, under the Additional Safeguard Policy (ASP), UNDP facilitated the first phase of the project with the help of its national partners, who acted as sub-recipients (SR) of the grant.

One of the achievements of this initiative has been the effective and supportive cooperation that exists among the Centre for Communicable Disease Control (Ministry of Health and Medical Education), the Ministry of Education and Iran Prisons Organization. The latter has experienced particular success with its prevention work among high risk groups in Iranian prisons. The project has been successful in addressing sensitive issues related to the rights of people living with HIV (PLHIV), such as stigmatization and issues around sex workers.

In addition to these public sector, many civil society organizations have had active roles n addressing issues such as prevention, stigmatization and discrimination at the local and grass-root levels in Iran. This has been accomplished in part through the positive club initiative, which has resulted in seven virtual communities led by the NGOs working on HIV/AIDS issues. In particular, the Mashad Positive Club, run by the Hamyaran Mosbat NGO, was given international recognition. They were awarded the Red Ribbon Award in 2008 for offering comprehensive services to PLHIV and for involving community leaders in their work.

There is also an increasing trend of community leaders, i.e. religious leaders, who are subsequently addressing issues such as prevention, stigmatization and discrimination at the local and grass-root levels in Iran.

The  approach taken by the Government to openly address the problem with the public during the recent years and the success of this project have brought international recognition for the country.

What is our goal?

The overall goal for the Project is to support Iran’s response in controlling the growth of HIV prevalence and incidence. This will be approached through maintaining HIV prevalence at less than 0.1percent among the general population, and keeping HIV prevalence below 25 percentamong high-risk groups by the end of 2010.

How will we reach it?

Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Iran will be approached by reducing HIV risk and vulnerability, promoting HIV information and education, improving access and quality of treatment and care, increasing access to and quality of psychosocial support services for the people living with HIV/AIDS, and strengthening the assessment, surveillance and monitoring of the problem.

What have we achieved?

During the first and second phases of the project, educational instructions for trainers and faculty members were prepared and published; 30 workshops were held for 236 faculty members;teachers received an educational booklet developed and published at 300,000 copies, as well as aCD produced; a workshop was held for the staff of the Education Ministry;, and total number of 251,059 teachers were trained in 15 provinces through 4-hour courses on how to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and knowledge among students. Also, 505,487 students have been trained by the teachers of the Ministry of Education during the 5th year of phase two of the Project.

Furthermore, an educational instruction was created for the training of Parents and Teacher Association (PTA) consultants, a series of five workshops (fifty 30-hour workshops) were held in Tehran for 464 of these consultants, and the teachers’ books was updated with the help of university professors.

In addition, a total number of 120 advance patients received antiretroviral  (ARV) drugs; more than two millions condoms were distributed, and 39 Behavioral Surveillance System (BSS) sites were established for monitoring of disease trends and impact indicators.

A total of 370,303 university students, prisoners and their family members (people belonging to At-Risk and High-Risk Groups) were reached through HIV/AIDS peer education.

187 Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centers (VCTs) were also established/upgraded with the help of the GFATM grant. With the facilitation of UNAIDS, 9 positive clubs were established to provide PLHIVs with psychosocial supports and extended cooperation of NGOs and medical universities. In addition, 1,832 PLHIVs were trained to support their peers.

The partnerships under this project have also done extensive work to reduce the risk of HIV infection among IDUs, placing 2,000 people on Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT). With  the support of the project, a total of 11,007 prisoners received HIV counseling and testing services.

In order to strengthen blood screening, the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization was equipped with high-tech laboratory equipments. 18 hotline centers have also been established across the prisons across Iran. Moreover, Round 8 proposal has been approved and the grant agreement has been signed in the third quarter of 2009.

Financial Delivery

The following is the breakdown of expenditures per year since the inception of project activities.

NATIONAL MDG FOCUS

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Project Title:

Round 2 GFATM HIV/AIDS Project  The Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in I.R. Iran, Phases 1&2

Location:

I.R. of Iran

Duration:

Start Date End Date

01.04.05              31.01.11

Budget:

Total phase I: US$ 5,698,000

Total phase II:  US$ 10, 224,855

Total Round II Budget: 

US$ 15,922,855

Implementing Partners:

• Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health Medical Education (CDC);
  
• Ministry of Helath (MOH); 
  
• Prisons Organization (PO);
• Ministry of Education (MOE).

Project Status:

Ongoing

UNDP Program Staff:

National Project Director:

National Project Focal Points:

Project Document:

The Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in I.R. Iran through Public, Civil Society and Private Partnerships, Phases 1&2

Related Documents:

Addendum One

Addendum Two