Iran

Population: 71,200,000 (mid-2007)* Population Growth Rate: 0.66% (2007 est.) Location: Middle East, east of Iraq , west of Afghanistan Literacy: Total population: 77% - Male 83.5%, Female 70.4% (2002 est.) Life Expectancy: 70 Years* Male: 68 years* Female: 71 years* Population Below Poverty Line: 18% (2007 est.) Maternal Mortality: 76 per 100,000 live births Infant Mortality: 38.12 deaths/1,000 live births Contraceptive Usage: Modern: 56%* All: 74%* Total Fertility Rate (TFR): 1.71 *Population Reference Bureau, 2007 Unless noted, data is from the 2007 CIA World Factbook

Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) Training Program in Iran

Goal

To reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates among women through the introduction of a safer, more efficient medical technology.

Background

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Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) is a safe procedure that has been used for years in many countries and is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). This procedure is a safer more modern procedure performed without anesthesia and hospitalization. MVA avoids the use of sharp instruments that can potentially perforate the uterus, uses local anesthesia, allows for a quicker recovery time, and costs considerably less. MVA is now a part of the WHO’s essential package of health services for women.

MVA can be used for treatment of incomplete abortion and to perform an endometrial biopsy. An endometrial biopsy is a procedure to remove a small sample of the lining of the uterus (endometrium). The sample is examined under a microscope for abnormal cells. An endometrial biopsy helps a health professional evaluate whether the endometrium is going through its normal stages of change during the menstrual cycle to evaluate infertility and prolonged uterine bleeding and to determine whether cancerous conditions are present.

Iran has a successful family planning program and one of the most advanced medical systems in the region. However, it is not utilizing the MVA technology in its centralized health system. Women visiting public hospitals with complications due to miscarriages and unsafe abortions are treated with the older method of (D&C).

Objective

To introduce the MVA technology to medical professionals and to public hospitals in Iran.

Program

In 2006, Family Health Alliance (FHA) launched a MVA training program in the cities of Tehran and Isfahan to train doctors and midwives in the use of MVA technology. The program consisted of lectures about the advantages of the MVA, demonstrations of how MVA is used and practical training sessions with actual patients. With the cooperation of medical universities in Tehran and Isfahan, the clinical part of the project was implemented in three public hospitals affiliated with the universities.

In November 2007 to increase awareness of MVA technology in Iran and the surrounding region, FHA participated in an International Gynecology and Obstetrics Conference held in Tehran. Thousands of doctors and midwives, from various parts of Iran as well as other countries in the Middle East region, attend this conference to learn about new medical technologies and advancements in women’s health. FHA presented a lecture on MVA at the conference and held clinical workshops to demonstrate its use.