TEHRAN National participation in helping human beings, rather than being to the benefit of the sufferers, is to the benefit of society. In a ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Charity Foundation for Special Diseases (CFSD), its Director Fatemeh Hashemi, in an interview with the **** TEHRAN TIMES ****, said that the CFSD has three objectives: prevention, treatment and training.

She added that the CFSD is a nongovernmental organization that is trying to increase the quality of treatment for special diseases by upgrading the existing facilities and building more clinics with the cooperation of governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

Special diseases are those chronic, incurable diseases which require constant treatment. These diseases include thalassemia, kidney disease, hemophilia, cancer and MS, she added.

The CFSD director said the CFSD has had relations with international organizations such as the Global Thalassemia Federation, the Diabetes Association of Britain and some organizations in Germany, Switzerland and Spain.

Currently, 20,000 people are suffering from thalassemia, 6000 from hemophilia, between 4 and 5 million from cancer, 2 million from diabetes and 7000 from hepatitis in Iran, she added.

Hashemi said that the CFSD is a bridge between people, patients and government that on the one hand considers the patients' problems and gives necessary proposals to the Majlis, and on the other hand introduces the diseases to the public in order to increase public contributions. Also in the ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of the foundation, the Secretary General of the CFSD, Dr. Baqer Larijani, told the TEHRAN TIMES that the general polyclinic for special diseases will open in September. It will train medical workers and treat patients.

He said that during the four years of its activity, the CFSD has used people's contributions to establish more than 150 clinics for special diseases.

The Ambassador of Japan to Iran Ukeru Magosaki, told the TEHRAN TIMES that the Japanese government is very keen to develop bilateral relations with the Iranian government and Iranian people, and this is very clear after the visit of President Mohammad Khatami to Japan. But at the same time we are also grateful to many people for having made the effort to strengthen relations between Japan and Iran.

In the future we are very keen to develop not only governmental cooperation but also cooperation in humanitarian areas.

We are very grateful to be able to participate in the field of humanitarian cooperation and this ceremony is one way to promote further cooperation.

We have donated some equipment to this hospital and also we are cooperating with the hospital as a nongovernmental organization. 7y&wusomNP.0 LNjjlLNj9oR x?=?=se public contributions.

Also in the ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of the foundation, the Secretary General of the CFSD, Dr. Baqeaining Are Objectives of CFSD