Synergy for Community Health: The Third Joint Meeting for Developing a Roadmap for Health-Related NGOs Held
The third joint meeting aimed at developing a collaborative roadmap for health-focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs) was held on Tuesday, 28 Aban of the current year, with the participation of representatives from active health NGOs and Iran University of Medical Sciences. The session, hosted at the Iranian Dementia and Alzheimer’s Association, focused on establishing sustainable mechanisms for university–NGO engagement and strengthening community participation to advance public health.
According to the Public Relations Office of the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, the meeting addressed key topics including identification of active health NGOs, development of joint projects, formation of operational agreements, design of evaluation indicators, documentation of successful experiences, and expansion of collaborative activities.
At the outset of the meeting, Engineer Jafari, Director of Philanthropy and NGO Affairs at Iran University of Medical Sciences, expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Dementia and Alzheimer’s Association and outlined the primary goals and agenda of the session.
Subsequently, Dr. Goshtaei from the Deputy for Health presented compiled indicators related to university–NGO collaborations, after which representatives of the participating NGOs shared their insights and recommendations.
Emphasis on the Role of Universities in Tobacco Prevention
Continuing the session, Fatemeh Azim-Beig, expert at the Tobacco Control Research Center and representative of the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, elaborated on the Association’s activities and programs. She highlighted the pivotal role of universities in reducing tobacco uptake among students and underscored the importance of leveraging academic capacity and university networks for prevention efforts.
She also referred to the “Tobacco-Free Generation” project, a joint initiative between the Deputy for Health of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, which aims—through health networks and community health volunteers—to prevent the initiation of tobacco use.
At the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed that NGOs would submit their feedback regarding the proposed collaboration indicators to enhance synergy and achieve shared objectives. The Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association has accordingly taken necessary steps in this regard.
