Tehran, May 4, 2008 - The I.R. Iran Prisons Organization is one of the forerunners in addressing HIV/AIDS challenges among female prisoners in Iran and has received international recognition for its support work in the Iranian prisons. The Prisons Organization is among the key partners of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) in Iran, jointly addressing one of the world’s most serious development challenges.

UNDP Iran’s Communication Unit interviewed Dr. Marzieh Farnia, Director General of the Health Bureau of I.R. Iran Prisons Organization’s Health Office, on 4 March 2008 about the Prisons Organization’s activities and achievements in the area of women protection against HIV/AIDS in prisons.

UNDP: For many years the Prisons Organization has had a central role in fighting HIV/AIDS through its work in the prisons of Iran. How do you see this challenge today, especially concerning female prisoners?

Dr. Farnia: HIV/AIDS represent a serious challenge in closed environments like prisons, where high risk groups such as drug addicts is a continuous concern. As a response we have designed our planning process with the aim to reduce such concerns to a minimum and we have made significant achievements in addressing HIV/AIDS related issues in the Iranian prisons, especially when it comes to activities focused on women.

UNDP: What would you highlight as the most important achievements in addressing HIV/AIDS in Iranian prisons during the past few years?

Dr. Farnia: In the past ten years the Prisons Organization has focused on the issue of HIV/AIDS with special attention to women and HIV/AIDS. We are working on establishing specialized “triangular clinics” for controlling three serious health challenges present in prisons: HIV/AIDS, drug addiction and sexual transmitted diseases, in addition to other related diseases. The establishment of these clinics is one of our main priorities for the coming years, and will start in 103 prisons for all and 15 clinics for women. Until now, all of the prisons have successfully initiated their activities, focusing on providing health education, consultation, treatment, and support to women prisoners. In addition to the triangle clinic activities; free, volunteer testing of HIV, Hepatitis or other sexually transmitted diseases is offered. If confidential test results prove positive; counseling, care and required treatment is made available to a prisoner. In case of negative result, awareness raising and advice on safe practices is provided.

Adding to these activities, our harm reduction programs in the last three years especially targeted women prisoners. In the whole country we now have a total of 13,500 prisoners on methadone treatment, of which approximately 200 are women. Five centers have been established for women to receive such treatment. One of these centers is based in Tehran’s Evin Prison, where currently 25 women are undergoing supervised methadone treatment. In addition, we have a program focusing on condom availability and disease transmittance awareness, intending to reduce the risk of being infected with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

UNDP: The sharing of contaminated instruments among prisoners is generally considered as one of the important sources for HIV transmittance. How has this challenge been approached in the Iranian prisons?

Dr. Farnia: One of the approaches taken in the past was the prohibition of using syringes inside the prisons. The rough environment among the prisoners and the fear of re-use of needles were main reasons for not amending this regulation. However, there has recently been a change in approach and syringes are made available in most of the prisons. In addition, five-six years ago, as prisons in Iran were confronted with the risk of HIV transmittance among prisoners due to the lack of legally available shavers, the Prisons Organization started revisiting restriction policies on the use of shaving equipment. As a consequence, the restrictions were lifted and are no longer practiced. Single use shavers are now made available in many prison shops just like shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush, and in some places they are also distributed as part of free personal hygiene packages that are given to the prisoners every month. After use, both syringes and shavers are collected and removed through standardized mechanisms for disposing of contaminated instruments.

UNDP: Many of the Prisons Organization’s activities and achievements are based on education and increasing awareness on HIV/AIDS among the prisoners. How is this followed up when the prisoner is released?

We support released prisoners through after-care services programs that have become very successful. A supervisor will follow up with the released prisoner and support him or her with opportunities for consultation to ensure successful reintegration process.  Within this framework we have set up clinics providing education, care and treatment so that an individual can receive support until he or she is able to be integrated into regular social services. In addition to the regular health care support, a released prisoner also gets the opportunity to apply for small loans and be assisted in re-employment.

UNDP: Considering that the support offered by the Prisons Organization is based on a non-discriminatory approach, where do you place gender concerns in the planning and execution of your programs?

Dr. Farnia: Well, we do not differ between men and women in the work we carry out and the fact that we do not have limitations concerning gender is itself a successful aspect of our activities. We can even say that women in some cases have better access to support than other prisoners because the number of female prisoners per support staff is lower than in the male units. Women prisoners who have children, especially those with infants, are held under close supervision and are supported during their time in prison, and we are advocating that the planning of women’s prisons in the Islamic Republic is managed in a way where all legal, medical, health, social and cultural needs are considered.

UNDP: What opportunities do you see for the Prisons Organization’s activities in the future?

Dr. Farnia: On HIV/AIDS we sought to learn about best practices in the world. We are learning from the experiences made globally at the same time as we find our activities and achievements among the most successful internationally. We will ensure that new developments are taken into consideration and that we continue to be one of the leading nations in addressing the challenge of HIV/AIDS.

For further information on the Prisons Organization you can visit www.prisons.ir.