As well as facing a significant risk of contracting diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis (TB) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unwanted pregnancies, these communities often experience stigma and exclusion, which pose barriers to healthcare. 

In 2021, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) continued to offer clinical and psychological support to these communities in the capital, Tehran, and in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, which lies in the eastern part of the country, near the Afghan border. Our multidisciplinary teams run both fixed and mobile clinics and work in collaboration with local organisations, such as the Society for Recovery Support, an Iranian NGO with over 20 years’ experience of helping drug users. 

On the southern outskirts of Tehran, we provide a comprehensive package of medical services, including counselling and support from peer workers, psychosocial assistance, medical and mental health consultations, ante- and postnatal care, family planning and treatment for STIs. Testing is also available for communicable diseases such as HIV, TB and hepatitis C. In 2021, we doubled the number of mobile clinics from three to six. 

In Mashhad, our services include general healthcare consultations, screening, treatment and follow-up for hepatitis C patients, vaccinations for hepatitis B and tetanus, counselling, social support and health education, as well as referrals to specialist health facilities. In this area, which borders Afghanistan, our services are equally open to Afghan refugees, many of whom have been in the country for several years but still have limited access to care. 

In 2021, MSF donated 40 oxygen concentrators to the Iranian Red Crescent Society to support its activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.