According to official estimates the Iranian population includes almost three million drug users. In Tehran and Mashhad, over 30,000 of them live on the street, many without access to healthcare. Ahmed is one of them. Like him, Ali, Leyla, Malek, Ramezan, Hamed and Seyed accepted to tell us their stories.

Drug users who are arrested by the police can be detained in camps where they sometimes have access to substitution treatments. They cannot leave without a judge's order and some stay for up to 12 months or even more. Other centres exist but services are not free and usually there are no substitution treatments, such as methadone.

In Tehran and Mashhad, Médecins Sans Frontières offers comprehensive primary healthcare for drug users, with the crucial help of a network of former drug users who chose to support their communities by working as peers and educators.

CREDITS
Illustrated by R.D.
Motion design : Sylvain Amstad
Sound design : Samantha Maurin
Interviews : Francesco Segoni
Production : Agnes Varraine-Leca
Médecins Sans Frontières © 2022