Head of Pasteur Institute of Iran Alireza Biglari announced on wednesday that the country is ready to export domestically-developed coronavirus diagnostic test kits to other countries.

While Iranian knowledge-based companies have started manufacturing kits, assembling lines for mass production of corona test kits have also gone into operation in Iran.

“Some 50 technological firms have announced readiness to produce test kits, of which five were selected and permitted by Pasteur Institute to start production,” Biglari said, “We are now independent from foreigners in manufacturing kits and are able to meet domestic demand.”

“In case of any need we can share our knowledge with neighboring countries under the supervision of WHO,” he added.

On March 9, Secretary of Biotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology Mostafa Ghanei informed that Iranian knowledge-based companies would put their produced coronavirus test kits to the market next Iranian calendar month, Farvardin (Starting on March 20, 2020).

Since the beginning of entry of coronavirus, into the country, the Biotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology in cooperation with Food and Drug Administration of Iran and Ministry of Health issued a call that if any knowledge-based company was able to produce a drug and/or kit.

Applicants had to introduce themselves in order to meet the demand of the country in the field of rapid diagnosis of coronavirus and treatment of the disease./MNA/

The World Athletics has wished discus thrower Ehsan Hadadi success in his fight against the novel coronavirus infection.

“We’ve received word that Iranian discus thrower @EhsanHadadi has tested positive for Coronavirus. We wish him a full and swift recovery,” the world governing body tweeted on Sunday.

Dr. Ashkan Ordibehesht, the head of the medical committee of the Iranian Athletics Federation, said that Hadadi is being quarantined at his home and his health status is under constant watch, noting that that the recovery is going well.

Hadadi was the first Iranian athlete who collected a medal in the Olympics in the track and field with his silver in London 2012. The 35-year old discus thrower has snatched six gold medals in Asian Championships and five other golds in Asian Games since 2005. He has a training base in the United States but contracted the virus in Tehran./ MNA/

“Coronavirus and the Inhuman, Unlawful, and Unilateral Sanctions of the United States against Iranian People”

Today, the world and humanity are witnessing an unprecedented international threat and growing concern about the number of countries affected by the Coronavirus and its victims. The virus crosses borders every day, threatening all parts of the world. Today’s international situation necessitates, more than ever, the need for national, regional and international efforts and mobilization of all the technical and logistical capabilities to assist countries infected with the virus. Therefore, the need for urgent, effective and comprehensive action to contain this virus is very crucial.

However, it is regrettable that, under these critical circumstances that the Islamic Republic of Iran is at the forefront of struggles to eradicate the virus with the aim of reducing the human suffering caused by the outbreak, the country is systematically subjected to unilateral direct and indirect inhumane sanctions of the U.S.  This approach, which is in sharp contrast to the UN Charter and the World Health Organization Statute, has not only hampered Iran’s intensive efforts to help the affected population and to control the spread of the Coronavirus, but also has negative and undeniable effects on all national, regional and international efforts to contain the virus.

Unfortunately and in quite the ‎opposite way, the U.S. government has continued to actively use ‎sanctions as a leverage to harm the health of the ‎Iranian people. ‎In a globalized world, everyone is considered to be riding on the same boat, and if the boat is damaged for any reason, the health of everyone will be at jeopardy.

The U.S. government has always claimed that food and medicine are not subject to sanctions. However, severe restrictions imposed on financial transactions and continual threats made to corporations in such industries have effectively prevented the usual delivery of medical supplies and equipment, seriously affecting the country’s health sector. The U.S. government is not refraining from bringing any illegal pressure in any sort and shape, creating impediments and escalating sabotage against the Islamic Republic of Iran even at the peak of the current Coronavirus crisis.

This virus recognizes no border and attacks its victims without considering their political affiliations, ethnic and racial backgrounds or belief system. Confronting this virus requires coordinated and cooperative action at the regional and international levels as well as adopting difficult socio-economic measures such as suspending economic activity, providing people with their basic needs, financially supporting the vulnerable and helping them cope with both the economic slowdown and the significant medical burden. Carrying out such measures requires, in turn, economic strength and budgetary resources to the tune of tens of billions of dollars. Under these circumstances, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as opposed to other crisis-inflicted countries, is facing serious impediments and restrictions arising from two years of illegal sanctions as part of the policy of “maximum pressure” and the U.S. government’s systematic campaign of economic sabotage.

The United States has imposed more than 100 sanction measures on the Iranian people and government in the past two years, specifically since 8 May 2018, and added around 1200 Iranian individuals and entities to its sanction lists. These sanctions have specifically targeted principal Iranian economic and financial sectors and, consequently, have inflicted damages of around $200 billion to the Iranian economy whose numerous local businesses have been severely undermined by the Coronavirus breakout. Most foreign nationals and companies, even those from the remaining Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) participant countries, are abiding by these sanctions. These actions represent a flagrant contravention of the principles of human rights and international regulations, including the JCPOA and United Nations Security Council resolution 2231. Regrettably, under such circumstances, it is impossible for even Iran’s private sector to carry out trade in such humanitarian items as food, medical goods and pharmaceutical supplies, which are purportedly not included in the sanction.

Finally, it is necessary to emphasize the critical humanitarian duty of all governments and civil societies, especially the well-known and leading states in humanitarian aid, to make their best effort to exert pressure on the U.S. administration to remove these unlawful and inhuman, unilateral sanctions that have targeted the lives and livelihood of innocent Iranian people as soon as possible in an effort to help contain the pandemic. As it has been aptly said by the Iranian Foreign Minister, “the world can no longer be silent as U.S. Economic Terrorism is supplanted by its Medical Terrorism”.

Saadi Shirazi (1210-1291), a prominent Iranian poet and prose writer, has a befitting saying in a poem in his book, Gulistan:

 

Human beings are members of a whole         In creation of one essence and soul

If one member is afflicted with pain             Other members uneasily will remain

If you’ve no sympathy for human pain      The name of human you cannot retain

Khorasan Razavi branch of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) has launched an international painting contest to promote personal and group health to fight against the new virus, the institute announced on Sunday.

Amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus in Iran and the world, the topic of personal health has received much attention as one of the main factors in transmitting the new virus.

The main topics of the contest are “Health of My Hands” (clothes, toys, food, family, friends, home and city), and “The Hands That Take Care of Me” (father, mother, doctors and health care staff).

Children aged 4 to 18 are asked to upload their paintings on the IIDCYA portal available at paintfest.kpf.ir.

The deadline for the national section is May 20 and the international section is July 15.

Submissions will be judged by a group of painters and book illustrators and winners will be announced on August 5. / T.T/