Shortly before Nowrooz 1397, the Iranian new year, Dr. Leila Joudane, UNFPA Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran, met H.E. Dr. Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the  Minister of Health and Medical Education in his office. Before the start of the meeting, Dr. Joudane wished a happy new year to the Minister of Health and Medical Education and offered him a new year’s gift from UNFPA Iran.

At the onset of the meeting, Dr. Joudane thanked the Minister for the opportunity to meet him and his staff. She briefed the Minister on the goals of the 6th UNFPA Country Programme, which are to contribute to universal health coverage, with focus on reproductive health, in particular maternal health and preventing preventable maternal deaths by 2030. In this regard she mentioned UNFPA’s support to MOHME to achieve a costed SRH package for all Iranians without discrimination. While stressing the fact that UNFPA’s work is fully in line with the national priorities of IR. of Iran, she thanked Dr. Hashemi and his team for the close cooperation and she also commended the excellent work done in South South cooperation, mainly for the support of Iran to Afghanistan on midwifery and maternal health in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees in Iran.

Dr. Joudane mentioned the global budget cuts for UNFPA and briefed Dr. Hashemi about successful joint fundraising activities between UNFPA and MOHME for South South initiatives, as well as for programmes, related to HIV/AIDS.

The Minister thanked Dr. Joudane for UNFPA’s support to MOHME. In particular, he thanked Dr. joudane and UNFPA for the support provided in late 2017 to women affected by the Kermanshah earthquake through procurement and distribution of dignity kits for pregnant women.