Challenges

In Iran, Afghan migrants and marginalized members of the Iranian community, particularly those with disabilities, face various barriers to accessing affordable and quality prosthetic care. Afghan migrants, due to their legal and social status, are often excluded from essential services provided to Iranian nationals. In addition, many individuals with disabilities in both communities face financial and infrastructural challenges that prevent them from accessing prosthetics and rehabilitation services. This lack of access exacerbates their isolation, limits their mobility, and hinders their ability to fully participate in social and economic activities. IOM Iran’s workshop sought to address these challenges by providing custom-made prosthetics to over 350 Afghan and Iranian individuals, empowering them to regain independence and mobility. The initiative also promoted social inclusion by ensuring equitable access to mobility aids, enhancing social cohesion between Afghan migrants and their hosting communities.

Toward a Solution

The Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Workshop, implemented by IOM in collaboration with BMVSS and other local partners, addresses the critical mobility challenges faced by Afghan migrants and Iranian nationals with disabilities. The initiative seeks to enhance the independence, dignity, and quality of life for individuals by providing them with affordable, high-quality prosthetic limbs, as well as training on their use and care. This project directly contributes to the achievement of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), particularly Target 10.2, which promotes the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), specifically Target 3.8, which aims to achieve universal health coverage and access to essential health services.

The initiative addresses a longstanding challenge faced by both Afghan migrants and Iranian individuals with disabilities: lack of access to affordable and effective prosthetic services. Due to limited resources and barriers related to their migrant status, Afghan populations are often excluded from government-provided healthcare services in Iran. Even within the Iranian community, people with disabilities often struggle to access prosthetics and rehabilitation services due to high costs and limited availability. The IOM-led initiative fills this gap so that both Afghan migrants and marginalized Iranians are provided with prosthetics that enhance their mobility, independence, and social inclusion.

The methodology employed in the initiative involves a collaborative approach between IOM, BMVSS, and State Welfare Organization (SWO), which includes a one-month workshop for prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation. The workshop involved the technical aspects of prosthetic fabrication along with a  focus on community-based support, providing participants with training and ongoing support to adapt to their new mobility aids. The workshop was carefully designed to support individualized attention, with prosthetics tailored to each beneficiary’s needs based on a thorough assessment by medical professionals. This approach helped participants gain confidence and independence in using the prosthetic limbs, greatly improving their quality of life.

A key feature of this initiative is its participatory nature. The partners involved, including IOM, BMVSS, YARA Rehabilitation Center, and SWO, coordinated their efforts to ensure that the project was inclusive and responsive to the needs of the beneficiaries. The collaboration was facilitated by regular consultations with local communities and migrant groups, with the aim to ensure that the program was both culturally appropriate and accessible. The involvement of local stakeholders, such as YARA’s technicians,medical doctors and other staff, further strengthened the initiative’s impact, resulting in the skills and knowledge transferred to local communities for long-term sustainability.

The South-South cooperation aspect of the initiative is evident in the transfer of knowledge and expertise between India (through BMVSS) and Iran. BMVSS, an organization with extensive experience in prosthetic care, shared its technical expertise with Iranian technicians and IOM staff.Despite of being a one time event, this knowledge transfer has contributed to the long-term capacity building of local professionals. Moreover, IOM’s ongoing partnerships with local Iranian organizations such as SWO and YARA have created a strong foundation for continued collaboration, and the potential for extending the model to other countries in the region, such as Afghanistan, is high. This knowledge-sharing also benefits Afghan migrants who are often unable to access services in their home countries due to limited infrastructure and provision of services.

The initiative achieved several key outcomes aligned with SDGs. Over the course of the workshop, 315 beneficiaries received prosthetic limbs, including 44 women and 30 Afghan migrants. The initiative improved mobility for these individuals, providing them with greater social participation and autonomy. In addition, increased social cohesion was noted, with both Afghan and Iranian beneficiaries interacting and sharing experiences, helping to break down social barriers and build a sense of solidarity. For instance, Abolfazl, a younf Afghan migrant, expressed his renewed sense of hope and independence after receiving his prosthetic limb, highlighting the personal and communal impact of the initiative.

One of the most innovative aspects of the initiative was the use of Jaipur Foot prosthetics, which are cost-effective and relatively simple to produce compared to other prosthetics, allowing for rapid deployment and accessibility. This innovation addressed the immediate needs of the beneficiaries and demonstrated how simple, affordable technologies could be used to improve the quality of life for marginalized populations. The cost-effectiveness of the Jaipur Foot technology positions it as a viable solution for similar settings, making it particularly advantageous for low-resource environments.

The initiative has been designed to be sustainable. Although the initial workshop was a one-time event, the knowledge transfer to local technicians ensures that the benefits of the initiative will continue beyond the project’s timeframe. Furthermore, partnerships with local organizations like YARA and SWO ensure ongoing support and follow-up for the beneficiaries, including adjustments and repairs to prosthetic limbs as needed. Additionally, local health and rehabilitation services are now better equipped to support individuals with disabilities, increasing the initiative’s long-term impact.

As for replicability, the model used in this workshop is highly adaptable and could be extended to other regions with similar needs. By partnering with local organizations, adapting the prosthetic technology to local contexts, and implementing capacity-building programs , the initiative has created a scalable framework that could be used in other countries with dense migrant populations and gaps in prosthetic care. Future expansion to provinces in Iran and neighboring countries like Afghanistan is already being explored.

Lessons learned include the importance of timely follow-up with beneficiaries for the sake of the success of the intervention. Delays in the review phase, could led to inadequate adjustments for some participants, emphasizing the need for efficient and continuous support systems. Furthermore, cultural sensitivity and trust-building are essential for gurunteeting the full engagement of beneficiaries, especially in a cross-cultural context where migrants may be skeptical of new interventions.