Following the revolution of 1979, the government of Iran established a Primary Health Care network in the country, providing each village or group of villages with a Health House staffed by trained community health workers. Rural Health Centers, where patients could access physicians, were also established. The government developed similar structures in urban areas as well, where providing universal coverage is less difficult. The network is managed through the Ministry of Health and financed by the public budget.
Due to Iran’s border with Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium, and its high rate of youth unemployment, heroin use has long been prevalent in the country, particularly in the poorer districts, and is on the rise. Home-produced crystal meth is also commonly used. In order to combat heroin addiction, the Iranian government has been distributing methadone, a prescription drug that banishes cravings, and clean syringes among addicted patients.
NIDA INVEST Fellowships at ISAP
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) INVEST Drug Abuse Research Fellowship aims to provide drug abuse scientists from across the globe with rigorous postdoctoral research training and professional development activities at a U.S. institution. The program is geared to allow fellows to establish personal relationships with NIDA grantees and NIDA officials who will continue their mentorship activities beyond the 12-month period. Fellows and mentors jointly seek funding and foster grant-writing abilities in order to enable collaborative research projects conducted in the fellow's home country. Previously, fellows have conducted research on drug abuse and addiction in a variety of areas, including epidemiology, prevention, treatment, and preclinical and clinical studies.
