Entrants's Name: Kamiar & Arash Alaei

Country: Iran

Field: HIV/AIDS/STDs

Innovation - idea: With my brother’s joint efforts, our lobbying efforts, eventually, resulted in the establishment of the first "triangular HIV clinic" of Iran in Kermanshah', focusing on drug use, HIV/AIDS, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infectious) with the contribution of Kermanshah department of Health. We further lobbied for the support of provincial policy makers and religious authorities to upgrade the local pilot program for HIV patients to the provincial level.

Innovation - why it is pioneering: It was the firs HIV/AIDS prevention,care and support program not only in Iran but also in the region. World Health Organization (WHO/EMRO) has documented our activities as the “Best Practice model in HIV/AIDS prevention and care for injection drug users. http://www.emro.who.int/asd/backgrounddocuments/std-052.pdf

Strategy - how it achieves impact: In an attempt to prioritize "need-based" services at our clinic, we started to offer psychosocial and educational counseling to HIV patients and their families, at the clinic during the day and at patients' houses at night. After 6 months, the reputation of our clinic became widespread, and we started to cater to about 80 patients a day at the clinic. At this time, the health officials of the province became aware of a "popular" HIV counseling clinic, affiliated with the University of Kermanshah.Using additional charitable funds, we were able to expand their services from education and counseling to general medical care of HIV patients, including mother and child HIV screening and general care. We further lobbied for the support of provincial policy makers and religious authorities to upgrade their local pilot program for HIV patients to the provincial level, including the introduction of far-reaching HIV "harm reduction" strategies (mainly for IV drug users).

Strategy - growth plans: We have designed two strategies in our life; "River strategy" as it changes its way but not its goal, and "Restaurant approach" which means providing different services in one place to attract the majority of our target groups. Shortly after the international encouragement, the Iranian Ministry of Health collaborated with us to expand the triangular clinics to prisons across Iran. As a result, to this day, there are 45 functional prison triangular clinics, nationwide. We had main contribution to write the national strategic plan for control of HIV/AIDS and proposal of Global Fund to fight against HIV/AIDS which was awarded 15.8 million USD.The latest breakthrough in the ever-evolving journey of Iran with respect to HIV/AIDS has been the active engagement of the country's conservative judicial branch to amend the current laws which criminalizes drug-users. Such amendments are hoped to facilitate the provision of HIV/AIDS education, counseling and medical care for the vulnerable groups.www.ghinmeca.com

Impact to date: As a result, to this day, there are 65 Triangular clinics outside the prisons and 45 functional prison triangular clinics, nationwide. Moreover, as the HIV/AIDS "role model" in the region of Central Asia and the Middle East, Iran sponsors complimentary HIV training courses for health care professionals from the region such as Afghanistan,Tajikistan,Iraq. We have had a lot of international visitors from differnet countries such as Indonesia and they started to do the same job in their countries, so this project not only motivated other organizations inside the country such as welfare Org. Red Cresent,ministry of Health, Prison Oragnizatios, and so on, but also other Muslim countries in different regions.

Future impact: HIV/AIDS, STD, and Addiction become the main priorities in the region. The majority of the focual points from different countries in this region would be trained and they will train their local and provincial experts. All of the countries will have their national strategic plan and approval proposal of Global Fund. HIV/AIDS prevention,care and Harm Reduction programs will be provided equally. The incidence rate of HIV among high risk groups ramains platue. A lot of students and researchers will be involved in different researches.

Sustainability - resource base: We started our project voluntairly. A lot of young volunteers from high schools,universities and Red Cresents were involved. HIV infected and affected cases, Ex-Drug users and STD cases became our peer educators and peer counselors. Some of the communities were encouraged to establish NGO and some of the charities were motivated to supprot these projects. HIV/AIDS became integrated in Primary Health system. We helped to write the National strategic plan for control of HIV/AIDS and proposal of Global Fund for fight against HIV/AIDS.Drug control Head Quarter became motivated to shift its resources from combating drug delivery to demand and Harm Reduction.We should acknowledge the great help and support of our colleagues in Triangular clinic and KUMS in Kermanshah who helped us to establish and promote the first Triangular clinic in Iran, documented by WHO/EMRO as "Best Practice model".

Major challenge for the field: Still, the country has a long way to go to assure comprehensive and right-based HIV/AIDS care for all its citizens, especially the vulnerable and the historically marginalized people. Active involvement of policy makers, religious authorities, health care workers, and most importantly "real" people in the society, is essential. Stigma is one of the main important chalenges in this region.

Contact Information:

Name: Drs. Kamiar & Arash Alaei - Executive Director
Mailing address: 203 Park Dr, Apt #225, Boston, MA 02215
Country: Iran
Email: alaei2001@yahoo.com
Tel: 617-869-9093
Website: www.ghinmeca.com

Bio: Alaei brothers (Kamiar & Arash Alaei) have done an extraordinary job of establishing the first counseling and care center for HIV-positive patients,Drug Users and STD cases in Iran.Dr. Alaei received his MD from Beheshti University and MPH (master of public health) from Tehran University. He is currently a graduate student of International Health at Harvard University, with full scholarship.

Dr. Alaei is the co-author of “Iran’s National and International Strategic Plans for the Control of HIV/IDU/TB”. He was a key player in putting Iran’s proposal to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS/TB/Malaria, which was awarded 16 million dollars. The counseling center recently was documented as one of the “Best Practices" by the World Health Organization in the Middle East and North Africa region.

He has presented more than 60 papers in international congresses and has been a guest speaker on related topics in 23 countries. BCC made a documentary about the works the brothers and Kamiar was selected by Asia Society as one of the 21st century young leaders in Asia.

A lot of magazines have been in the process to write special reports about the work of Alaei brothers and a group from MIT are writing their successful history on HIV/AIDS control programs.

For more info on Alaei brothers, please visit their Web site at: www.ghinmeca.com