Iran manufactures auto injectors for MS patients

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February 24, 2016

According to experts, only certain countries have the technology to build the device. Once the production line becomes operational, Iran will also join them.

Western sanctions significantly harmed Iran’s hygiene and health sector over the past few years.

The embargoes had forced Iran to suspend cooperation with some of the developed states that used to transfer modern technologies, experiences and scientific achievements to the country.

Given that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has already gone into effect and the sanctions are gradually being lifted, some of the world’s technologically advanced countries, such as France, have resumed collaboration with Iran.

In an exclusive interview with the Tehran-based English newspaper ‘Iran Daily’, Mohammad Ali Sahraian, deputy head of Iran MS Society (IMSS), elaborated on the advantages and benefits of autoinjectors and the general condition of Iranian MS patients.

About the current number of MS patients in Iran, Sahraian said, ‘I cannot give an exact figure; nevertheless, approximately 60,000 people in the country suffer from the disease.

‘According to IMSS’ figures, there are 22,000 MS patients in Tehran. The disease is becoming more prevalent in the country.

‘Some 30 out of every 100,000 people in Iran suffer from MS.’

On the reason for the increased prevalence of the disease in the Middle East and, particularly, Iran over the past two decades, the official said ‘Scientists have not yet discovered the reasons for contracting MS.

‘It is an autoimmune disease which inflicts damages on the central nervous system (CNS) by attacking human body’s immunity system.

‘The symptoms of the disease begin to appear following the harms to the CNS. Autoimmune diseases are more common in developed countries where infectious diseases are strictly controlled.

‘Autoimmune diseases are not just limited to MS. Other autoimmune diseases are widespread across the world.

‘Environmental and genetic factors are also effective in the development of the disease.

‘Sometimes, inheriting a certain gene makes individuals highly susceptible to the disease. However, it is still impossible to cite a certain reason for contracting the disease.

Asked what age groups in Iran show a higher prevalence of MS, he answered ‘The disease is highly prevalent in people in the 20-40 -year age bracket.

‘Women are three times more likely to contract the disease.

‘Sometimes, the symptoms appear even at the age of four. It is also possible that symptoms arise in patients, between 60 and 67 years of age.’

On medications given to patients, he said ‘There is no definite cure for MS.

‘Like diabetes and high blood pressure, it can only be controlled.

‘Currently, to control the disease, patients are prescribed interferon medications.

‘Interferon is a signaling protein made and released by host cells in response to the presence of several pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and also tumor cells. They help regulate the immunity system and reduce attacks on the CNS.

‘These medications are normally administered through injection once or thrice a week, depending on the condition of the patients.

‘In some cases, due to the severity of the disease, injections are performed at shorter intervals.’

Asked whether the medications are produced domestically or not, he replied ‘Some 80 percent of the MS patients receiving interferon medications use domestic products. At present, Iran is almost self-sufficient in these medicines.’

About the impact of sanctions on Iranian patients suffering from MS, he said ‘Since most of the medications required by MS patients were produced domestically, they did not face any major problems. However, some of these patients needed a number of imported medications, who were affected negatively by the embargoes.’

Elaborating on Iran-France cooperation to build a device to MS patients recover their health to a great extent, he said ‘A large number of MS patients require weekly injections.

‘Due to the number of the injections, sometimes, patients are trained to self-administer the injections. Prior to the invention of the device, they used very thin needles, the use of which required a great deal of care.

‘Patients should inject a certain dose of the medicine very slowly.

‘At times, the injection led to skin allergies and other negative symptoms. To tackle these problems, a number of the developed countries made an autoinjector device with a remarkably high degree of precision.’

Also, speaking to Iran Daily on the sidelines of the unveiling ceremony of this modern device, Haleh Hamedifar, the managing director of the research center for manufacturing autoinjectors, said a large number of MS patients have to administer injections 12-15 times a month.

She added it was really essential to produce the device domestically given that it is extremely difficult for patients suffering from MS to move from one place to another and to receive the shot, they have to refer to treatment centers.

Hamedifar said the device was invented some three years ago, adding it provides patients with the most up-to-date technology for administering injections.

‘Once the production line for the device becomes operational, we will be able to resolve a major portion of the problems faced by MS patients in the treatment process.’

In addition, she said, once the device enters mass production, Iran will be able to export it.

‘China, India and some Latin American countries currently produce the device. Nevertheless, I dare say that the product, to be manufactured in Iran, will possess higher quality.

‘At present, we have only two main rivals in the world in this regard.’

Due to the structure of its needle, the device will help resolve the security problems posed by hospital medical wastes to a significant extent, she underlined.

Thanks to the removal of the sanctions, Iran will able to produce modern products and export them. This will shift the pharmaceutical trade balance in favor of the country.

‘The Songs of My Land’ wins Russian Jury Prize

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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February 24, 2016

Directed and produced by Abbas Rafeei and Amir Hossein Sharifi, The Songs of My Land received three prizes, including the Special Jury Prize, at 11th International Orthodox Film Festival in Obninsk, Russia.

Amir Hossein Sharifi received another award on behalf of Orthodox churches due to addressing the message of friendship between Muslims and Christians.

The Songs of My Land won the festival’s Special Jury Prize due to difficulties in production and addressing the most important issue in today world, which is terrorism.

The third prize is the special award of Eurasian Television and Radio Academy which was presented to Sharifi by the head of the academy.

Sharifi bestowed the award to the families of Christian martyrs who were killed by terrorists.

He also gave his second and third prize to the film’s director and its cast

Enemy failed in plots against Iran: Ayatollah Khamenei

By

Emad Askarieh

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February 24, 2016

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in an address to thousands of people from the central city of Najafabad on Wednesday.

The Leader said enemy is attempting to create a “false bipolarity” in Iran like “pro-government and anti-government parliament.”

He said the Iranian people will stand up to enemy plots by voting in the upcoming elections.

“When enemy witnesses that after 37 years [since the victory of the Islamic Revolution], [and] with all [kinds of] pressure, cruel sanctions and spiteful and damaging propaganda, it has failed to prevent people’s allegiance to the establishment,” it comes to realize the grandeur of the Islamic establishment, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The Iranian people want a parliament that pays due heed to the country’s independence and dignity, is committed and courageous and will not fall for enemy plots, the Leader noted.

The next elections for the 10th term of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) and the 5th term of the Assembly of Experts will take place simultaneously on February 26.

Ayatollah Khamenei further warned against enemy schemes to infiltrate into the country, calling on the nation to remain vigilant in the face of enemy plots to “create discord” in the country.

Ceasefire Plan Not to Stop War on Terrorism: Syrian Deputy FM

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Emad Askarieh

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February 24, 2016

In an interview with the Lebanese al-Mayadeen television channel, Mikdad described Damascus’s acceptance of the ceasefire plan as a carefully calculated move, adding the decision was made after extensive consultations with Russian friends.

The US and Russia reached a draft deal on Monday, detailing a ceasefire to start in war-torn Syria on Saturday.

The senior Syrian official further stressed that the truce initiative does not mean that the battle against Takfiri groups will ever stop, adding more victories are ahead.

Mikdad also referred to forthcoming Syrian parliamentary election and said the poll has nothing to do with the ongoing political negotiations.

On Monday, Syrian President Bashar Assad called for the parliamentary elections to be held on April 13.

Syria has been entangled in civil war since March 2011, with Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIL) controlling parts of it, mostly in the east.

In the past five years, more than 260,000 people have died in Syria – overwhelmingly civilians – and around 4 million Syrians are now refugees in other countries. Around 8 million others have been displaced internally.

Elections Guarantee Islamic Republic: Iran’s President

By

Emad Askarieh

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February 24, 2016

“The poll is a guarantee of the survival and might of the Islamic Establishment,” President Rouhani said at a Tuesday session of the High Council of Cultural Revolution in Tehran.

One of the reasons that the Islamic Republic presses ahead vigorously despite all plots and woes is the strong support it receives from the nation, in the form of votes, he explained.

Earlier this month, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei also noted that massive presence of people in the upcoming elections will secure the country against hostile schemes.

Iran is going to hold the Assembly of Experts and the parliamentary elections simultaneously on February 26.

Around 6,300 candidates, including some 600 women and dozens of Iranians from the religious minorities, are running for the parliament. There are 290 seats in the Iranian parliament up for grabs.

Hundreds of candidates are also running for the 88-member Assembly of Experts, a high-ranking body that elects leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Members of the assembly are directly elected to office by people for an eight-year term. It holds biannual meetings to appoint a new chairman.

Around 500 journalists working for the news media of 29 countries are also expected to cover the polls.

According to Iran’s interior minister, some 129,000 ballot boxes will be available in 53,000 stations all over the country for the Friday elections.

Deputy Police Chief Brigadier General Eskandar Momeni has also announced that 250,000 forces have been mobilized to ensure security of the elections.

Leader: Large voter turnout to challenge enemy

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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February 24, 2016

He made the remarks in a meeting with thousands of people from the city of Najafabad at the Imam Khomeini Mosque downtown Tehran on Wednesday morning.

When enemy witness the fact that, 37 years of pressures, oppressive sanctions and hostile propaganda have not prevented people to pledge their allegiance to the Islamic system, grandeur of revolution will shiver down its spine, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He added that the election time in Iran is the time of national mobilization in which nation stands against enemy and challenges it.

Najafabad is located in central Iranian province of Isfahan. The meeting was held on the verge of Majlis and Assembly of Experts elections slated for February 26.

Britain Resumes Issuance of Visa in Iran: Spokesman

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Golrokh Askarieh

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February 24, 2016

“According to an announcement by the British administration, and in line with the implementation of previous agreements between the two countries, the visa section of British embassy in Iran will resume its operation on Wednesday,” he noted on Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond announced in a post in his Twitter account that “UK Visas and Immigration today resumed visa service in Iran, as promised 6 months after reopening Embassy.”

In an announcement on the British administration’s website, it is said that “You can apply for a UK visa in Iran, at the UK Visas and Immigration Visa Application Center (VAC) in Tehran.”

Earlier in February, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his British counterpart Hammond held a meeting in London, during which the two sides declared the visa sections of the two countries’ embassies will be reopened later this month.

After the 1.5-hour-long talks held on Friday morning, the two diplomats told reporters that visa issuance will be resumed within the next weeks, probably in late February.

Iran-Britain ties soured in 2011. On November 27, 2011, a large majority of Iranian lawmakers voted to downgrade diplomatic ties with Britain, following Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran.

Later, angry Iranian students stormed the British embassy in Tehran and pulled down the European country’s flag.

Following the incident, Britain withdrew its diplomatic staff from Tehran on November 30 and asked Iran’s diplomatic delegation in London to leave within 48 hours.

The two countries made diplomatic efforts afterwards to amend ties. In August 2015, the British embassy in Iran reopened after a 4-year closure.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Hammond attended a ceremony in Tehran to mark the reopening on August 23. It was the first visit by a British foreign secretary to Iran since 2003.

Simultaneously, Iran’s embassy in London also reopened.

MPs’ Bravery and Freedom Will Help Safeguard Iran’s Nature and Biological Diversity

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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February 24, 2016

The Head of the Environmental Protection Organization listed Iran’s environmental problems with reference to the upcoming Parliamentary Elections, asking the people to help her enact the policies laid out by the Supreme Leader by electing a parliament who cares about nature. Voting at the ballot box was a right that had been formalized by the Revolution and the Constitution, she said. She emphasized, “If people don’t participate in their own destiny, and aren’t self-determining, they deprive themselves and their families of an opportunity.”

As reported by the Farsi-language news and analysis site Entekhab (a summary here translated by IFP), Masoumeh Ebtekar talked about the environmental expectations about the 10^th Parliament. She said, “We are expecting that, with a broad turnout of people, and the activity and effort which will be made, wise and knowledgeable MPs will be elected, ones with high legal and scientific abilities, and good understanding. This will mean that we can benefit from a 10^th Parliament that has a suitable understanding and knowledge of the general global, regional and national environmental conditions. Also, they must know about our special national situation, including problems such as water issues and the severe decreases in groundwater levels.”

The Head of the Environmental Protection Organization continued, “We hope to have MPs in the 10^th Parliament who consider environmental matters just as much as other issues. We don’t want any one-dimensional MPs. We expect that, if an economic issue is under discussion, we should make economic decisions that do not adversely affect Iran’s fragile climate.”

Ebtekar went on to say that “An MP must consider social issues, and must realize just how much the environment can affect social matters, and also how much the people can help with environmental issues, if given appropriate space and freedom in the procedures of lawmaking and government supervision.”

“The MP must be aware that there are over 35m people influenced by metropolitan pollution. Solving this issue is very important for reducing treatment costs and increasing life expectancy. We need to plan well for this, and Parliament can play a decisive role. In addition to this, it is important to maintain national biological diversity in this challenging climate, and protect Iran’s plants and biology. Working with Parliament, we must not allow endangered species to become extinct.”

She pointed out that Iran has fragile ecosystems, such as ponds, natural Hyrcanian forests, and oak forests. She explained, “Unfortunately, deforestation and smuggling from these forests are continuing, and our pastures are also facing difficulties. We’ve been talking about balancing and livestock and pastures for years, but still haven’t achieved a good situation.”

She also mentioned, “Bravery is important for an MP, because an MP who represents a single party or group may face problems when trying to stand up for the people’s rights, since some of those rights, especially environmental ones, might conflict with their party’s economic policies. If the MP isn’t brave enough or free enough, they won’t be able to stand up for the people’s rights on certain issues, for example, if they have to make a decision about building a road through a forest.”

The Head of the Environmental Protection Organization reminded us, “Desertification and dust storms are still happening. We hope that the 10^th Parliament cares about these matters, as well as the rivers, seas and coasts. These are our national resources, and we cannot be indifferent towards them, lacking a proper plan. Fortunately, we have the Supreme Leader’s policies. We hope that the 10^th Parliament will consider these, and help the country in facing all these dangers.”

Boosting Islamic Activities Needed to Counter Takfiris: Leader

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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February 24, 2016

Fighting against the Takfiris’ attempts to incite sedition among nations requires strengthening Islamic activities, the Leader said Tuesday evening in a meeting in Tehran with the Republic of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that promotion of Islamic teachings and observing religious rites will encourage public support for efforts against threats.

The Leader further referred to the religious commonalities between the two nations of Iran and Azerbaijan, saying that the Islamic Republic views the two peoples’ bonds in the framework of fraternity.

Imam Khamenei said that Iran attaches great significance to the political stability, security, peace and welfare of the Azeri people.

The Leader also stressed the need for the development of economic exchanges and cooperation in different fields between the two countries.

Aliyev, for his part, highlighted the amicable ties between Iran and Azerbaijan and said the two countries share views on international issues.

“Iran plays a major role in upholding peace and security in the world,” he said, adding, “We consider Iran’s security as our own.”

The Azeri president also said threats against the two countries originate from the same sources, adding that during his trip, the two sides agreed to cooperate against terrorism.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani was also present at the meeting.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, the Azeri leader arrived in Tehran earlier on Tuesday.

The two countries signed 11 cooperation agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) during the visit.

Iran and Azerbaijan have accelerated efforts in recent years to forge closer partnership in various fields, from fighting against terrorism to the exchange of electricity or gas deals.

Meanwhile, a lasting nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers that terminated sanctions on Iran has also paved the way for Tehran-Baku interaction to thrive.

Known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear accord came into force on January 16.

Elections Guarantee Islamic Republic: Iran’s President

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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February 24, 2016