Country of origin information report Iran January 2010

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Education
24.41 The CIA World Factbook, updated on 11 November 2009, stated that in 2002, an estimated 77% of the total population were literate (83.5% of men and 70.4% of women). [111]
24.42 The UN 38th session CRC report of March 2005 stated that:
“Although the Committee notes the high level of literacy in Iran and the measures taken by the State party to increase school enrolment and lower dropout rates, it remains concerned that not all children are enrolled in or graduate from primary school. Working children, children living on the streets and children without complete personal documents, particularly refugee children with binational parents, have reduced access to schools. It is also concerned that refugee children are currently only being enrolled in schools if their parents have registered with the authorities, and that the enrolment of refugee children is not currently being offered free of charge. It is further concerned about well-documented information that a large number of Baha’i students were not admitted to university on the grounds of their religious affiliation.
“The Committee is also concerned about the disparity that continues to exist between boys and girls; the high dropout rates of girls in rural schools upon reaching puberty; the lack of female teachers in rural areas; long distances between homes and schools, which keep girls at home, particularly after primary school and the lack of mobile schools for nomadic children, as well as the remarkable differences in the personal and material equipment between schools in urban and rural areas and between the most and least developed provinces, resulting in unequal educational opportunities.” [10ag] (Paras 59-60)
See also Baha’is.
24.43 The British Council’s undated report on education in Iran, accessed on 24 June 2008, stated:
“Primary education in Iran is compulsory under the Iranian constitution. As a general rule, primary, secondary and higher education is free, although private schools and universities do exist and are permitted to charge tuition fees. According to government figures, over 95% of Iranian children currently receive primary and secondary education. All schools are single-sex. There are over 113,000 schools throughout Iran, teaching over 18 million children. It is estimated that there are almost 1 million teachers within the education system.
“More than 50% of the country’s 66m population is under the age of 25, which creates huge demand within the education system. In particular, admissions to post-secondary courses are highly competitive and university places are won through the National Entrance Examination (Konkur). There are currently well over 1 million students pursuing courses in Iranian universities, over half of these at private universities. Iran has 52 state universities and 28 medical universities, as well as a significant number of government research institutes. There are 25 private universities, including the Islamic Azad University, which has branches all over the country.
“The academic year runs for 10 months (200 active days) from September to June. There are three terms: September-December, January-March and April-June.” [113]
24.44 The same report continued:
“School education in Iran is divided into the following cycles. There are qualifying examinations to pass from one educational cycle to the next and national exams are conducted at the end of each grade of the secondary cycle. Special provision is made within the educational system for gifted and special needs children, as well as for minority groups, refuges [sic] and for non-formal education.
1) Pre-school (1 year cycle, children aged 5)

2) Primary (5 year cycle, children aged 6-10)

3) Middle (Guidance) (3 year cycle, children aged 11-13)

4) Secondary (3 year cycle, students aged 14-17)

5) Pre-university (1 year cycle, students aged 18)
“Pre-school education: This is non-compulsory and children proceed automatically to primary education at the age of 6.
“Primary education: Children begin primary education aged 6 and are given a broad-ranging general education. There is a national exam at the end of the 5 years, which students have to pass to enter into the Guidance cycle.
“Middle/Guidance cycle: This three-year phase also provides students with general education, and encourages them to think about the options for secondary education. Students must sit a regional exam at the end of the Guidance cycle in order to proceed to secondary education level.
“Secondary education: Secondary education is divided into two branches: ‘theoretical’ studies and technical & vocational studies. The academic or ‘theoretical’ branch comprises four subject areas: literature & culture, socio-economic studies, maths & physics, experimental sciences. The technical branch is more vocational in structure and is divided into the following three sectors: technical, business & vocational, agriculture. National exams are conducted at the end of each academic year during this secondary cycle. Students complete a number of units during their three years of secondary education, and must obtain 96 units within this time in order to be awarded the High School diploma (Diplom-e Mottevasseteh).
“Pre-University education: Students wishing to enter Higher Education must take a one-year pre-university course, at the end of which they may obtain a ‘Pre-University Certificate’. This certificate then qualifies students to sit for the highly competitive National Entrance Exam (Konkur), success in which is imperative in order to gain a place at university.” [113]
24.45 Europa, accessed on 3 November 2009, noted that “Primary education is officially compulsory, and is provided free of charge for five years between six and ten years of age, although this has not been fully implemented in rural areas. Secondary education from the age of 11, lasts for up to seven years, comprising a first cycle of three years and a second of four years. [1e] (Education) The British Council noted that there are discrepancies between the standard of education provided in urban and rural areas, as well between the different regions of the country. [113] The USSD report for 2008 found that although primary schooling up to age 11 is free and compulsory, media and other sources reported lower enrollment rates for girls than boys in rural areas. [4a] (Section 5)To ease the shortage of teachers in rural areas, the Ministry of Education established specific Rural Teacher Training Centres, as well as conscripting teachers to be sent to non-urban areas. (British Council, accessed June 2008) [113] All education is taught in Farsi/Persian with only the occasional and minimal use of minority languages. (UN, 16 January 2002) [10p] (p16)
24.46 Europa Worldonline, accessed on 3 November 2009, reported that “According to UNESCO estimates, in 2005/06 primary enrolment included 93.6% of children in the relevant age-group, while in 2004/05 enrolment at secondary schools included 77.3% of the appropriate age-group.” [1e] (Education)
24.47 The Iranian Minorities’ Human Rights Organisation (IMHRO) reported on 18 February 2008 that education in Iran is provided only in Farsi. The organisation states that this results in many non-Farsi-speaking children leaving school before they should and the literacy rates of minorities being very low. [109a]
24.48 Europa Worldonline, accessed on 3 November 2009, stated that “There are more than 50 universities, including at least 16 in Tehran. According to official sources, there were some 1,191,048 students enrolled at Iran’s public colleges and universities in 2005/06, in addition to the 1,197,521 students enrolled at the Islamic Azad University.” [1e] (Education)
24.49 The USSD Report 2008 stated that:
“The government significantly restricted academic freedom... Admission to universities was politicized; in addition to standardized exams, all applicants had to pass ‘character tests’ in which officials eliminated applicants critical of the government's ideology. Members of the Basij were given advantages in the admissions process. Student groups reported that a ‘star’ system inaugurated by the government in 2006 to rank politically active students was still in use. Students deemed ‘antigovernment’ through this system reportedly were banned from university or prevented from registering for upcoming terms.” [4a] (Section 2a)
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Health issues
24.50 The USSD Report 2007 noted that children had the right to some form of health care which was generally regarded as affordable and comprehensive with competent physicians. [4t] (Section 5)
24.51 The World Health Organisation’s Report, World Health Statistics 2009, recorded that the under five mortality rate was 33 per 1000 live births. The number of live births attended by skilled health personnel had risen to 97% during the period 2000 to 2008. 97% of 1 year old children were immunised against measles in 2007. [28a]
24.52 An undated article on the UNICEF website, accessed on 8 December 2009 stated that:
“In recent years, Iran has registered remarkable achievements in the area of child health, with high primary health coverage and lowered child mortality rates. Pre-primary care and education services have increased considerably, with rural children in disadvantaged areas a major target for development.
“Nevertheless, the country faces a number of challenges in meeting the full range of children’s needs, particularly those children made vulnerable by poverty either through distance from central services and/or unemployment of caregivers.” [10j]
See also Medical Issues
documentation
24.53 A comprehensive 2005 UNICEF report, Birth Registration in Iran, stated that:
“Iran adopted a Birth Registration Law in 1918, making Birth Registration

compulsory. Article 12 of the Registry Act stipulates that the birth of every child born in Iran, regardless of the nationality of his/her parents shall be reported (within 15 days) to the official representative or agent of the Birth Registration Organization and the birth of the children of Iranian nationals residing outside Iran shall be reported to the local Consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran and in the event that there is no local Iranian consulate, it shall be reported to the nearest Iranian consulate or the Birth Registration Organization of Iran…“The legal grace period for the announcement of the birth of a child is 15 days from the date of birth. After the expiration of the prescribed period, if the fact of birth is not recorded, those who are legally bound are considered violators of the law and will be prosecuted, pursuant to Article 3 of the Law on Contravention, Crimes and Punishments concerning Registration of Personal Status enacted by the Council of Expediency (August 1991). In case of conviction, the violator shall be liable not only for registration of the birth but also for payment of a fine. However, these laws are often not comprehensive enough, are not enforced or do not function.” [10h] (p5)

This UNICEF report contains detailed information on the birth registration process and should be accessed directly for further information:

http://www.unicef.org/iran/IRN_resources_BR_eng-word.pdf
24.54 The Women’s News Network on 23 September 2008 noted that “According to existing family law, citizenship cannot be passed to children from their mothers. Many Iranian women who have married Afghan and Iraqi men cannot get birth certificates for their children; hence these children cannot go to school.” [136a]
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Trafficking
25.01 The US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report (USSD TiP 2009), covering the period April 2008 to March 2009, dated 16 June 2009 stated that:
“A 2004 law prohibits trafficking in persons by means of the threat or use of force, coercion, abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability of the victim for purposes of prostitution, removal of organs, slavery or forced marriage. Reports indicate, however, that the law has not been enforced. The Constitution or Labor Code or both prohibit forced labor and debt bondage; the prescribed penalty of a fine and up to one year’s imprisonment is not sufficient to deter these crimes and is not commensurate with prescribed penalties for grave crimes, such as rape.” [4v] (p162)
25.02 The US State Department Report on Human Rights Practices 2008 (USSD 2008), Iran, published on 25 February 2009, stated that, although the law prohibits human trafficking:
“… according to foreign observers, the country was a source, transit, and destination point for trafficking. Women and girls were trafficked from the country to Pakistan, Turkey, Europe, and the Gulf states for sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. Boys from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan were trafficked through the country to Gulf States. Afghan women and girls were trafficked to the country for sexual exploitation and forced marriages. Internal trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor also occurred. In some cases, authorities tried and convicted persons involved in trafficking.” [4a] (Section 5)
25.03 The USSD’s TiP 2009 report noted that:
“The Government of Iran does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so. Lack of access to Iran by U.S. Government officials impedes the collection of information on the country’s human trafficking problem and the government’s efforts to curb it. The government did not share information on its anti-trafficking efforts with the international community during the reporting period. For example, Iran was not among the 155 countries covered by the UN’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, published in February 2009. Publicly available information from NGOs, the press, international organizations, and other governments nonetheless support two fundamental conclusions. First, trafficking within, to, and from Iran is extensive; and second, the authorities’ response is not sufficient to penalize offenders, protect victims, and eliminate trafficking. Indeed, some aspects of Iranian law and policy hinder efforts to combat trafficking. These include punishment of victims and legal obstacles to punishing offenders.” [4v] (p161)
25.04 The same report also noted that:
“No reliable information was available on human trafficking investigations, prosecutions, convictions or punishments during the past year [2008]. Iranian press reports over the year quoted a law enforcement official as stating that 7,172 people were arrested for “trafficking” from January to July 2008, although it was not clear whether this group included human smugglers, those sponsoring prostitution, victims of trafficking, or a mix of these…
“The government reportedly punishes victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked, for example, adultery and prostitution. There were reports that the government arrested, prosecuted, and punished several trafficking victims on charges of prostitution or adultery. It is unknown how many victims may have been subjected to punishment during the reporting period for such acts committed as a result of being trafficked.” [4v] (p161-162)
See also Children and Women
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Medical issues

Overview
26.01 Information from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) dated January 2002 advised that there are two types of hospitals in Iran, private and governmental. To receive treatment in the governmental hospitals, one must belong to the social security scheme whereby the employer pays the subscriptions for the employee, which then entitles them to subsidised medical treatment and medication. In Tehran and other larger cities such as Shiraz and Isfahan there are many well-reputed hospitals. These are staffed by physicians and specialists, most of whom are very experienced and internationally trained. There is an extensive range of specialist care found in Tehran, both in the private and governmental sector. For complex medical conditions where treatment is not available locally, the patients can apply to the Supreme Medical Council for financial assistance towards payment of medical expenses overseas. The Supreme Medical Council consists of a group of specialist doctors who assess and examine each case to determine whether such assistance in funding should be allocated. [26a]
26.02 The World Bank Country Brief of September 2006 stated that:
“Health outcomes in Iran have improved greatly over the past twenty years and now generally exceed regional averages. Key to this success has been the Government of Iran’s strong commitment to and effective delivery of primary health care. Iran’s ‘Master Health Plan’, adopted in the 1980s for the period of 1983–2000 accorded priority to basic curative and preventive services as opposed to sophisticated hospital based tertiary care, and focused strictly on the population groups at highest risk, particularly in deprived areas. Moreover, as a result of the prioritization and effective delivery of quality primary health care, health outcomes in rural areas are almost equal to those in urban areas, with outcomes in terms of infant and maternal mortality nearly identical between urban and rural areas.” [36b] (p1)
26.03 The World Health Organisation’s April 2006 Country Brief for Iran stated:
“Health status has improved over four decades. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) finances and delivers primary health care (PHC). Recent remarkable developments in the health sector, such as establishing health networks to ensure provision of PHC services, resulted in improvement in various health indicators. However, considerable disparities remain; over 8-10% of the population is not covered by any insurance scheme and has to pay directly. Restricted access and low service availability in the less developed provinces (Sistan and Baluchistan) result in poor health indices compared to the rest of the country.” [28d]
26.04 An article in Iran Focus dated 8 May 2007 reported that a 1998 parliament bill mandating segregation of the sexes in the provision of medical care was shelved partly due to insufficient numbers of qualified staff from each sex:
“The strongest protest came from male gynaecologists who said segregation would put them out of business.
“Since the Islamic revolution, Iranian male medical students have been barred from specialising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, meaning the only men practicing in these branches earned their qualifications abroad or before 1979.” [76e]
26.05 An International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Country Brief on Iran updated on 30 November 2009 stated that:
“According to the last census that the Statistical Centre of Iran undertook in 2003, there are 730 medical establishments (e.g. hospitals, clinics) in Iran, of which 488 are directly affiliated and run by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, 120 owned by the private sector and the rest are managed by other organizations such as the Social Security Organization of Iran (SSO). About 73% of all Iranians have SSO coverage according to the same source.
“Iran has been very successful in training/educating the necessary human resources for its health system. The system of almost 30 years ago where the country was facing a shortage of all kinds of skilled personnel in the health and medical sector has been completely changed. Today, there is enough trained adequate medical staff to meet the country’s needs. An elaborate system of health network has been established which has ensured provision of Primary Health Care (PHC) to the vast majority of the public. However, access and availability of health care continues to be somewhat limited in lesser developed provinces where the health indicators are also lower compared to the national averages.” [48] (p3)
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Drugs
26.06 The World Health Organisation reported that in 2002 most medications were available locally under various generic and company labels. [28b] A national therapeutic drug policy/essential list of drugs is present, formulated in 1988. The essential drugs list was last updated in 2001. (WHO, 2005) [28e] Generic inhibitors for HIV/AIDS are also produced. (BBC News, 13 February 2003) [21y] According to the FCO in January 2002, those medicines not available, which are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, can be ordered through the Red Crescent Society by presenting a doctor’s prescription. The prices for medications bought in Iran are much cheaper than UK prescription and dispensing charges. There has also been considerable development in the pharmaceutical industry in Iran during the last decade. The essential raw material for the majority of medicines is imported from overseas and then the medicine produced and packaged locally. This is again subsidised by the Government. There is also a black market for certain types of foreign medications and the cost of such medications is quite high in comparison to those readily available at pharmacies. [26a]
26.07 The IOM Country Brief updated on 30 November 2009 observed that:
“Iran has a rather developed pharmaceutical production capability but the country still relies on importations of raw materials and many specialized drugs. The Ministry of Health has the mission to provide access to sufficient quantities of safe, effective and high quality medicines at an affordable price for the entire population. Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has adopted a full generic-based National Drug Policy, with the local production of essential drugs and vaccines.
“Therefore, apart from very rare and special medicines, all medications are available in Iran. There are many private pharmacies all over the country. There are also four major governmental pharmacies that would provide any kind of prescribed medicine, but in small quantities to avoid the creation of [a] black market. There are thousands of pharmaceutical facilities in Tehran and hundreds more around the country.” [48] (p5)

Drug addiction
26.08 The 2002 report by the Centre for Harm Reduction and Burnet Institute in Australia, Revisiting ‘The Hidden Epidemic’ A Situation Assessment of Drug Use in Asia in the Context of HIV/AIDS, reported that:
“Drug addiction is considered a crime but the authorities are ready to consider drug use as a medical problem. Drug users who are undergoing treatment are not meant to be persecuted, nor are the specialists offering treatment. The costs of diagnoses, treatment, medicines and rehabilitation are to be paid by the addicts according to the approved tariffs but the government will finance the costs for those unable to pay (DCHQ1997). It is up to the judge to distinguish whether the person is an addict or a trafficker; a positive test to opium shows the person was an addict while possession was interpreted as being a trafficker (Razzaghi et al. 1999).’ [34] (p104)
26.09 A Beckley Foundation report dated July 2005 observed that:
“A tough anti-drugs campaign was launched in Iran following the revolution that established the Islamic Republic in 1979. Individuals caught in possession of drugs received fines, imprisonment and corporal punishment. The death penalty was prescribed for serious drug offences. Despite these measures, drug use and drug trafficking have continued to increase, and Iran has become the principal transit country for drugs from Afghanistan… The costs of Iran’s drug problem include: high levels of dependency and addiction; strains on the capacity of the criminal justice system; increases in drug related deaths; and high rates of HIV/AIDS infection among injecting drug users. There is growing recognition in Iran of the limits of enforcement, and the importance of the medical and social dimensions of drug misuse. This has resulted in improvements in drug treatment and expansion of harm reduction services.” [87a] (p1)
26.10 An article dated 19 November 2008 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated that “For the last decade, drug users who enter treatment programmes voluntarily have been exempt from prosecution.” [10k]
26.11 On 20 May 2009, a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) news article stated that “Iran suffers from one of the highest rates of drug dependence in the world, particularly opiates (heroin, opium, and morphine).” UNODC’s Executive Director, Antonio Maria Costa said that “Iran has a major drugs problem, but it is taking the right steps to deal with it…” [10m]
26.12 The United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2009 AIDS epidemic update, released on 24 November 2009, stated that, according to the Iranian National Centre for Addiction Studies of 2008, “There are estimated to be between 70 000 and 300 000 injecting drug users in the Islamic Republic of Iran…” [10i] (p35) The UNODC, however, estimated that “Approximately 1.2 million of Iran’s 70 million inhabitants are drug dependant.” [10k] UNODC also stated that is was a Government priority to provide treatment to assist those dependent on drugs to recover from their addiction:
“To tackle the drug abuse situation, the Government established Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ) in the late 1980s. Made up by senior officials who report directly to the President of Iran, DCHQ monitors the drug problem nationwide, sets policy, and plans and coordinates action on all drug control issues …Last year, Iran provided treatment for hundreds of thousands of drug addicts through various treatment and harm reduction programmes.” [10k]
26.13 The UNAIDS/WHO 2009 report noted that Iran has “… invested in drug substitution programmes, overdose prevention and needle and syringe programmes.” [10i] (p44)
HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment
26.14 The UN AIDS/WHO/UNICEF Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS in Iran, updated in October 2008, noted that approximately 86,000 adults were living with HIV, of whom approximately 24,000 were women. [28c]
26.15 The UNAIDS 2008 Global report stated that “The Islamic Republic of Iran is home to a serious drug-related epidemic, with HIV prevalence of between 15% and 23% documented among male injecting drug users who make use of drop-in or drug-treatment services in Tehran… ” [10ai]
26.16 A UNAIDS news article dated 13 May 2008 noted that “The major factor which is fuelling the epidemic in Iran is the use of contaminated injecting equipment among injecting drug users, as well as sexual transmission of the disease. Therefore, the work of the Joint UN Team on AIDS is primarily focused on the issue of injecting drug use…” [10n]
26.17 UNAIDS also reported that:
“This work has been successful and the Iranian government has one of the most progressive harm reduction policies on record in a developing country. There are more than 20,000 drug users on the government methadone maintenance programme, which began three years ago. Important legal reforms have facilitated the success of this programme: although drug use is a crime, people who are having treatment for drug use are not considered criminals. ‘Even needle and syringe programmes can be considered treatment, which is a very big achievement and an important step to de-stigmatise and make services available to people who inject drugs,’ says Setayesh [UNAIDS Country Coordinator]. Based on the most recent available studies, more than 90 percent of drug users have used clean needles for their last injection in Tehran.
“Two years ago the drug treatment programme was extended to prisons where the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is the main partner. ‘A lot has been done but there is room for improvement,’ says Setayesh. ‘Prison systems are trying to introduce needle exchange and condoms, but it is a challenge to encourage the prisoners to use them. This requires reform to expand services in prisons.’
“Nonetheless, Iran is moving from having a concentrated HIV epidemic among injecting drug users to a more generalized situation, mainly affecting partners and wives of people who inject drugs and people formerly in prison. Although the response among these particular key populations has been remarkable and progressive, other groups who engage in risky behaviour such as sex workers and men who have sex with men are not sufficiently addressed in the country's response. Homosexuality is a sensitive issue in Iran and providing services for men who have sex with men presents many challenges for UNAIDS, which is the leading UN programme in this area.” [10n]
26.18 The USSD Report 2007 stated that:
“Transmission [of HIV] was primarily through shared needles by drug users, and a study showed shared injection inside prison to be a particular risk factor. There was a free anonymous testing clinic in Tehran, and government-sponsored low-cost or free methadone treatment for heroin addicts, including in prisons. The government also started distributing clean needles in some prisons. The government supported programs for AIDS awareness and did not interfere with private HIV-related NGOs. Contraceptives, including free condoms, were available at health centers as well as in pharmacies. Nevertheless, persons infected with HIV reportedly faced discrimination in schools and workplaces.” [4t] (Section 5)
26.19 The USSD report for 2008 reiterated that “Persons with HIV/AIDS reportedly faced discrimination in schools and workplaces. The government supported programs for HIV/AIDS awareness and generally did not interfere with private HIV/AIDS-related NGOs.” [4a] (Section 5)
26.20 The UNAIDS/WHO 2009 report noted that “In the Islamic Republic of Iran, injecting drug use accounts for more than two thirds (67.5%) of reported HIV cases (Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, 2008).” [10i] (p44)
26.21 A UNODC press release dated 20 March 2009 announced the launching of
“…two projects to provide HIV/AIDS prevention and care services to Afghan refugees and female drug users in Iran.
“The goal of the first project is to support national efforts to provide comprehensive HIV prevention and care services to Afghan refugees in Iran who are drug users…This group has been identified as being high-risk, yet has thus far not fully benefited from Iran's large-scale comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services to injecting drug users - including opioid substitution treatment.
“The second project targets another vulnerable group; Iranian women who are either drug dependent and/or affected by HIV. The aim of the project is to increase access to quality services tailored to the specific needs of these women, including in prison settings. This will complement the significant resources that the Government of Iran already devotes to prevention and treatment of HIV as well as drug demand reduction measures.” [10o]
Mental health
26.22 A report in the Psychiatric Times in January 2002, stated that a village based primary care system serves over 60 regions of the country, with village centres linked to surrounding hospitals and medical schools. The national health programme supports training in mental health care. The Government has also established four regional centres for the prevention of mental disorders. [27]
26.23 The WHO Mental Health Atlas of 2005 stated that a mental health policy was formulated in 1986 along with the national mental health programme which was evaluated in 1995 and 1997 with changes made based on suggestions. In 1995, it was evaluated jointly by the WHO and the Teheran Psychiatric Institute. Other related programmes are Integration of Substance Abuse Prevention within the Primary Health Care and a Harm Reduction Programme. Mental health is a part of primary health care system. [28e]
26.24 The WHO report continued:
“The country spends 3% of the total health budget on mental health. The primary sources of mental health financing in descending order are tax based, out of pocket expenditure by the patient or family, social insurance and private insurances. … The country has disability benefits for persons with mental disorders. Since 2001, the disabled mentally ill patients are entitled to a stipend of about $30 per month if they do not receive other free services. Already, about 10 000 disabled patients are receiving disability benefits and the number is increasing. Institutional care is free of charge for the disabled mentally ill.” [28e]