The Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) has been providing Afghan refugees with unhindered access to primary health care, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Refugees’ health needs have significantly increased as a result of COVID-19, rendering many of them vulnerable.
Similarly, additional support was required from the Government of Iran in terms of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies, in order to support the national health system in better responding to the crisis countrywide, both for refugees and the host population. Such support also helped maintain the Government’s inclusion in COVID-19 testing of refugees and people on the move.
To this end, UNHCR airlifted some 100 tonnes of medical supplies thanks to generous contributions from its donors, which were distributed in medical facilities countrywide, with a specific focus on refugee-hosting areas. The items included masks, face shield, gowns, hand sanitizers, gloves, portable ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), and infrared no-contact thermometers. All actions were coordinated with other international agencies. In addition, 10,991 refugee households received hygiene packages (including soap, hand sanitizers, masks and cleaning products), as part of UNHCR’s prevention efforts in both settlements and urban areas. As of end-2020, UNHCR had also pre-positioned some 14,000 hygiene packs as a contingency stock, to be used in the first quarter of 2021.
During the first months of the pandemic, refugees’ access to inclusive health care services was extended to include free COVID-19 testing and treatment, on par with Iranian nationals. However, access to free treatment could not be maintained due to resource constraints, compounded by the ongoing economic downturn in Iran and by the growing numbers of persons requiring treatment. Refugees enrolled in the universal public health insurance (UPHI) scheme could access treatment at subsidized rates. Testing remains free-of-charge at national health centres and for refugees inside settlements. Using addition funds raised for the COVID-19 emergency, UNHCR covered the UPHI fees for an additional 11,399 vulnerable refugees, which allowed for their continued access to secondary health care coverage during this period. This support also allowed the identified vulnerable refugees to access COVID-19 treatment cost at affordable prices, and helped prevent them resorting to negative coping mechanisms to cover health and other basic needs.
Unmet needs
In 2020, resources remained scarce for the Government to maintain its health response. The UN country team and partners provided much-needed support for the management of the COVID-19 crisis in its early phase, as the possibilities of directly bringing in international medical supplies and PPE items into the country were severely constrained. UNHCR Iran’s COVID-19 response was fully funded, and allocated resources were utilized in a timely manner. However, increased transportation costs, resulting from unpredictable border restrictions, forced UNHCR to reduce the quantities being procured. An important mitigation measure was the European Union’s generous support for a Humanitarian Air Bridge to Iran, as well as free services from Qatar Airways to transport PPE and medical supplies into Iran.