This is the Abstract Presentation of Zahra Fathi Geshnigani which took place as part of Sixth session of 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSHR10) Virtual, on 31st August 2020, on the theme of "Innovative financing for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Asia and the Pacific". SESSION CHAIR Dr Ashish Bajracharya Population Council's Deputy Director for global country strategy and regional representative for South and East Asia PLENARY SPEAKER Quazi AKM Mohiul Islam former Director General, Directorate General of Family Planning, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh "COVID-19 and SRHR issues in Bangladesh" A B S T R A C T P R E S E N T A T I O N S * Loida Almendares Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Context of Socioeconomic Development and Equity Sustainable and innovative financing to ensure SRHR access to all, with "Public-Private Partnership Bridge Funding" * Dr Moazzam Ali Are family planning vouchers effective in increasing use, improving equity and reaching the underserved? An evaluation of a voucher program in Pakistan * Prof Angela Dawson Launch of the Asia Pacific Consortium for Emergency Contraception (APCEC) * Zahra Fathi Geshnigani Investing for health, advocating on prioritizing resource mobilization and allocation for treatment of Sexual transmitted infections; sensitizing stakeholders and policy maker for supporting the HCV treatment for vulnerable groups in Iran For more information on this session go to www.bit.ly/apcrshr10virtual6 #SRHR #sexualhealth #reproductiverights #familyplanning #womenshealth #LGBT #genderequality #SDGs

1. Investing for health, advocating on prioritizing
resource mobilization and allocation for treatment
of Sexual transmitted infections; sensitizing
stakeholders and policy maker for supporting the
HCV treatment for vulnerable groups in Iran
Zahra Fathigeshnigani
2020

2. Family Health Association of Iran
A non-governmental organization was
established in 1994
FHA Iran contributes to the promotion of
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
for all, especially among young people and
vulnerable groups, in consistence with
social and cultural beliefs and values of the
society
Full Member Association of International
Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
 Holder of Special Consultative Status from
UN-ECOSOC
Member of World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA)
Member of the CCM in Iran
2

3. Family Health Association of Iran
FHA Iran provide comprehensive SRHR
service through it’s services delivery points
in Iran
Strong contribution in advocacy programs
for the SRHR issues in the national, regional
and international level
Participation in HRC meeting and reading
the statement and advocate for the human
rights
 Holding educational training for the public
about SRHR
3

4. Track 1: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
in the Context of
Socioeconomic Development and Equity
• Prioritizing resource mobilization and allocation
for SRHR in public health expenditures and
development assistance
4

5. 5
States and development partners have limited budgets and many competing
priorities, so it is important to ensure that SRHR is valued as resources are
mobilized and allocated. Indeed, SRHR programs and services will require
increased and sustained funding in order for relevant SDGs to be achieved by the
2030 deadline. SRHR falls within the scope of fundamental human rights and is
central to eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development across social,
economic, and environmental dimensions.
With a focus on prevention, investments in SRHR are not only critical to people’s
wellbeing and the prosperity and resilience of families, communities, and nations,
but are also demonstrably cost-effective and cost-saving, freeing resources for
investment in other development priorities.

6. 6
SRHR – which encompass a range of issues, including universal access to SRH services and supplies,
comprehensive sexuality education, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices such as
early, child and forced marriage, sexual transmitted infections, are fundamental to the ability of all
people, especially women, adolescent girls and young people, to lead full, satisfying, healthy and
productive lives.
For this propose the national governments should:
- Develop national financial action plans for SRHR
- Improve tracking of financial resource flows for SRHR
- Increase mobilization of domestic public revenue for health, including SRHR
- Remove financial barriers to accessing SRHR services
- Regulate private sector financing for the provision of SRHR services
- Strengthen monitoring and accountability for fulfilment of financial commitments to SRHR

7. 7
When we are talking about SRHR one of the most important part of that which should be considered
is Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs), such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C and other infection.
In Iran we provide free of charge services for testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS and through
behavioral counseling centers and HIV clubs all the clients can receive these services in a very
confidential environment.
Also for the Hepatitis B all the health post which are provide primary health services to all over the
country the clients can be vaccinated free of charge.
But for the HCV we need to add it as one part of the country medical system. Free testing and
treatment can be considered as the best way for reducing the incidence of this disease.
Since Hepatitis C is mainly passed on through using contaminated needles and syringes or sharing
other items with infected blood on them, special consideration to IDUs and harm reduction services is
crucial.

8. IRAN STATUS
Iran Population: 84,200,000
Infected people with HCV: 186,000
8

9. SOME FACTS ABOUT HEPATITIS C SITUATION IN IRAN
More than 186000 people infected with
HCV in Iran. Although the prevalence of
HCV in general population is about 0.31%,
but it’s considerably different from its
prevalence among persons who inject
drugs’ subpopulation (PWID) with
51.46%; while locating in the Middle East,
right beside the biggest narcotic producer
in the world, and with an increasing
number of injecting drug users, hepatitis C
is considered as a serious risk factor in our
country. The HIV/HCV confection in the
PWID group is 10.95%. These horrifying
facts moved us to advocate on investing for
HCV treatment as a way of prevention.
Despite having a relatively low prevalence
in the Iranian general population, the burden
of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is on
the rise, and hepatitis C is predicted to be
the most important leading cause of viral
hepatitis-related mortality in the near future
in Iran.
Lack of awareness among young IDUs
regarding the risk of acquiring HCV
infection via needle-sharing are the root
cause of the increasing prevalence of HCV
infection among IDUs community. At the
same time, the asymptomatic nature of HCV
infection and the undiagnosed HCV-infected
IDUs would accelerate this increase.
9

10.  Providing harm reduction services in the
country
 providing free of charge testing and
treatment as a way of prevention

11. • Treatment of HCV-infected population, despite
having poor tolerability, prolonged treatment course
and frequent side effects, interferon (IFN)-based
therapy is recommended as the first-line therapy in
Iran due to affordability and local availability.
• Recently, the production of a domestic DAA, with
health insurance coverage has been announced in
Iran, paving the way for low-cost access to DAAs
and subsequently widespread use of these drugs in
the near future.
11
But the biggest problem is that the vulnerable group who are mostly from IDUs,
sexworkers and refugees don’t have access to the health insurance.

12. 12
FHA Iran as a pioneer NGO in providing SRHR services
in the country played a great role in the country for
advocating on HCV treatment for vulnerable group.
 For achieving synergic advantages, we’ve made
connections with different CSOs working on HCV and
for this purpose signed a MOU with Iran Hepatitis
Network in order to conduct some activities for raising
public awareness.
 Then we prepared a fact sheet and hold some Advocacy
meetings with Iranian Parliamentarians for sensitizing
them about this issue. Also, negotiated with authorities
from Ministry of Health and other organizations, for
attracting their support in order to provide free of
charge treatment for the key population.

13. 13
 In addition to all we hold some scientific panel about
HCV alongside campaigning for that in order to
convince the policy maker to put HCV treatment in their
priority list for allocating budget.
 The panelists were from different organization:
 Ministry of Health
 Iran Hepatitis Network
 Parliament
 Tehran city council
 State Prisons and Security Organization of Tehran
Province
 Patron of FHA Iran

14. 14
Also FHA Iran held lots of different workshops,
seminars and campaigns in order to raise awareness
of the global burden of viral Hepatitis and
highlighting the necessity of governmental and
nongovernmental aids and supports to prevent,
diagnose and treatment of Hepatitis.
In this regards we prepared advocacy tools like
posters, brochures and info graphic datasheets,
increased public awareness about HCV.

15. Receiving the membership of
World Hepatitis Alliance
Forming an executive
committee of the stakeholders in
order to advocate for providing
free of charge HCV treatment
for the key populations

16. 16
Activities done by Family Health Association of Iran for advocating and providing services for people living with hepatitis,
made it eligible to be a member of World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA). FHA Iran is the second Iranian Association who received
membership certificate of WHA.
The 31st volume of “Hep Voice” monthly magazine announced this news and introduced FHA Iran

17. 17
As a result FHA Iran formed a committee which is included of representatives of parliamentarians, representative of family
deputy in presidency office, president of Iran hepatitis network, director of hepatitis office in Ministry Of Health, representative
of NGOs and CBOs. In our meeting in this committee we prepared a brief policy note based on the fact sheets that we had
prepared before. Based on this brief policy note we sensitized the stakeholders and policy maker in order to put HCV treatment
in their priority list and a part of country health and medical system.

18. CONCLUSION

19. 19
"Health is the foundation for the dynamic and prosperous World we all want to see"
"Health enables people to learn and earn, to start businesses and to thrive. Health creates jobs.
It drives productivity. It stimulates inclusive growth. And it protects economies from the
impacts of outbreaks and other emergencies.“
The implications of positioning health financing as an investment, including whether that
approach aligns with the vision of inclusive health services that is at the core of UHC and
whether it can guarantee sustainability, it is a point that should ask for it from the governments
but they often prize investments that offer more immediate returns.

20. 20
Since prevalence rate of the HCV among vulnerable people in Iran is high, for the first step providing
free of charge and voluntary testing and treatment for the IDUs has been requested from the formed
executive committee.
We will continue our meeting with the committee and follow up the approvals.
At the moment we have received a few number of HCV rapid test from the ministry of health to use for
our clients who are IDUs and come to our DIC for receiving the services, based on the test result we
introduce them to the Iranian Hepatitis Network for the treatment. This phase of the project has been
done as pilot in our DICs for the few number of clients. And will report this to the government and
MOH as a good practice for their future planning and investment.
FHA Iran will continue this advocacy project as long as free testing and treatment of vulnerable
people with hepatitis C becomes a part of the country's health care program.

21. Due to huge US sanction against
Iran and also high rate inflation
in the country, may be this
project face with delay to be
implemented in a large scale
Corona Virus pandemic has
effected the approval and
implementation of the project
Change of organizational
managers affects the project
implementation process
21

22. 22
Zahra Fathigeshnigani
First and corresponding
authors
Former CEO of FHA Iran
Dr.Safieh Shariari Afshar
Co-authors
Founder member and Patron
of FHA Iran

23. THANKYOU
Zahra.Fathy@gmail.com
@Zahra.fathi.geshnigani
HTTPS://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/ZAHRA-FATHI-
2A815B36/