PHA-Exchange> Update on Iran Meeting

[Claudio]

From: WGNRR 

Here a long-due (brief) update of my visit to Iran and the relevance for PHM (Global). 

As I mailed before, I was invited to participate in a Beijing+10 (= 10-year review of the UN Women's Conference) Forum in Tehran 27-29 September 2004. There were approximately 25 Iranian women and some men, and 9 foreign women - mostly from Muslim countries in the region. Mr. Mohammed Barzgar also participated in part of the forum, which I think was a good connection. Health was not chosen as one of the core-themes for this meeting, the focus was on women and war/conflict, peace, decisionmaking/power, and the economy. Of course many links with health were made!

For your info: 
I disseminated many Call for Actions on "Health Sector Reforms: Hazardous to Women's Health" which includes various mentions of PHM, as well as a Farsi - translation of this Call for Action! (thanks to PHM Iran) and campaign posters. We disseminated A-4 leaflets on PHM (in english). I mentioned PHM also in one of my presentations on WGNRR and how we work. I also talked about the Health NOW campaign with some of the participants and have forwarded the website to some of them. 

Unfortunately the situation in Iran is quite difficult - there is no openness of press and obviously many women's rights are disrespected (see, for example, the recent case of a journalist who I met there who was arrested recently - http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=11598). 

On the other hand, the primary health care approach implemented in Iran has great examples for countries around the world. Large parts of reproductive health are incorporated strongly in the whole system with free contraceptives (various methods) available for free. However, for young, unmarried women and men it may be more difficult to access such services. Mr and Mrs Barzgar were kind enough to take me around for 2 days to see various organisations and visit a local health center ('health house') in a rural area of Iran near the Caspean Sea. Very impressive to see the way the health centers are set up: very accessible, very friendly, extemely low numbers of maternal and child mortality, etc. 

I had a very interesting (although brief) meeting with about 12 members of the relatively new Iranian PHM: a great mixture of men and women of different ages, very passionate, very interested. I presented some information about PHM Global, the People's Health Charter and PHA II. They are eager to get active especially on the issue of women's health, so it was a good connection to make. 

I hope the PHC conference planned for feb/march 2005 in Tehran is really developing strongly! 

Just get in touch with me if you would like to know more. 

Best wishes, 
Nadia
Coordinator Women's Access to Health Campaign, WGNRR
wahc at wgnrr.nl     website  www.wgnrr.org 

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