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UPCOMING DEMONSTRATIONS

 
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stefania



Joined: 17 Jul 2003
Posts: 4250
Location: Italy

PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 5:29 pm    Post subject: UPCOMING DEMONSTRATIONS Reply with quote

FINALLY, MY FRIEND FROM IRAN CONTACTED ME.. HE SAYS THAT THEY ARE CONTINUING TO FIGHT AND WILL DO IT TILL THE VICTORY..
HE ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WILL BE LARGE DEMONSTRATIONS SINCE 7TH DECEMBER.. Razz
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Siamese
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 5:31 pm    Post subject: Stefania.. Reply with quote

Hi Stefania --

Demonstrations on Dec 7th or before or after..?
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stefania



Joined: 17 Jul 2003
Posts: 4250
Location: Italy

PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 5:50 pm    Post subject: IRAN FACING UP TO HIV/AIDS 'TIME BOMB.' Reply with quote

IRAN FACING UP TO HIV/AIDS 'TIME BOMB.'

November 17, 2003
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
A. William Samii



The first official case of AIDS in Iran was identified in 1987 in a 6-year-old boy who contracted it from HIV-contaminated blood brought in from abroad. So
far, about 700 people are believed to have died from AIDS in Iran.
These figures are still low by international standards, but officials
and experts say the number of people infected with HIV/AIDS is
increasing. To date, Iran has identified about 5,000 people -- mostly
prison inmates -- who are infected with HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS. But health officials say the real number of Iranians who are
HIV-positive is much higher.

Doctor Mohammad Mehdi Gouya is head of the disease management
department of the Iranian Health Ministry. In an interview with Radio
Farda correspondent Farin Assemi, he estimates the real number of
HIV-positive people in the country could be up to five times higher
than officially acknowledged. "The [patients on the] official
registries have undergone three tests, after which we declare them as
being infected. There is a big gap between the registered statistics
and the estimated ones. [Sexually transmitted diseases] are
considered hidden diseases because no one admits to their deeds.
Hence, the estimated statistics are important. We estimate that in
Iran, there are between 23,000 to 25,000 cases of people infected
with HIV."

Officials say the majority of those Iranians infected with
HIV are drug addicts. Iran is a major transit route for drugs being
trafficked from neighboring Afghanistan to Europe. According to
official figures, up to 70 percent of HIV-positive people in Iran
have used infected needles. Of the more than 2 million addicts in
Iran, 300,000 are intravenous drug users. Iranian health officials
estimate that only about 12 percent of those infected acquired HIV
through sexual contact.

Doctor Arash Alaei and his brother established the first
counseling and care center for HIV-positive patients in Iran a few
years ago, in the city of Kermanshah in western Iran. Alaei was
recognized by the World Health Organization for his HIV/AIDS work and
is credited with helping Iran become more open in addressing HIV/AIDS
problems. Alaei believes the spread of HIV through sexual contact
will become a more serious problem in Iran. "We should not neglect
this issue. For example, a drug addict who spent some time in jail
and became infected after using a common dirty needle could have sex
after being released. Therefore, I anticipate that, in the future,
AIDS transmission through sexual contact will increase."

Officials in the country have only recently begun to speak
openly about AIDS, however. Alaei says many doctors in Iran are still
not comfortable treating AIDS patients. He explains: "As a doctor, I
would suggest to you that among my colleagues in the health system,
as in a segment of society, there is fear about AIDS. There is fear
about treating an infected patient. For example, we had a case who
had a broken arm and while being transferred to the operation room
for surgical treatment, the operation was canceled because [it was
learned] he was infected with AIDS."

Alaei says many in the general public share the doctors'
attitudes: "In the other classes of society, AIDS awareness is also
still limited. There is fear and maybe they consider it as a social
stigma." Iran's Health Ministry has urged health workers not to
turn away HIV-positive patients and to give them proper treatment.

The Health Ministry's Doctor Gouya says more AIDS
counseling centers have been created across the country. "It is
imperative that health centers and clinics across the country make it
easier for those who acted recklessly to come forward and receive
proper counseling and even undergo tests, if necessary. This can now
be done in medical universities across the country."

Alaei says that, in his center, HIV-positive patients are
treated anonymously. "We don't probe into the background of those
who have been infected. We don't ask their names or their
addresses. Our only goal is to help people who are facing addiction,
people who have sexually transmitted diseases or who are infected
with AIDS."

Health officials liken AIDS in Iran to a "time bomb," and
some 400 people are diagnosed as HIV-positive every three months.

Alaei says that if a serious awareness campaign is not
launched, the spread of AIDS will be disastrous for the country. In
his words, "If we neglect raising awareness among people and among
the youth, and if we don't accept infected people and don't
confront the stigma, then in the future it will turn into an
uncontrollable human and health disaster with economic, social and
health losses." The Education Ministry announced recently that
information on sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS,
will be included in school textbooks. Rolling Eyes Confused
_________________
Referendum AFTER Regime Change

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