In the inauguration ceremony held in Tehran at Shahid Jafari Clinic affiliated to Shahid Beheshti Medical University, Deputy Minster of Health, Head of MoH Bureau for Communicable Disease Control, UN Representative in Iran, and Chancellor of Shahid Beheshti Medical University attended.

Opening of HIVDLN is a big stride made to ameliorate health care in Iran and is in line with National Health System Reform. Before establishing HIVDLN, Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization was the sole body concerned with HIV laboratory diagnosis.

According to Ministry of Health (MoH) HIV/AIDS report released earlier this week, the proportion of HIV/AIDS infection through sexual transmission has risen in 2013 which demands effective prevention procedure. HIVDLN that is established in 11 principal laboratories located in major medical universities across the nation will operate as the main core for HIV testing which alongside counseling centers will be an effective response to global commitment to control HIV/AIDS and empower and enable all people, across the nation to access the services they need. This is in accordance with WHO motto for World AIDS Day 2014: "Closing the gap in HIV prevention and treatment."

Dr. Shima Naghavi, Director of International Affairs