Country profile

About Islamic Republic of Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran, a low-middle income oil exporting country with an area of 1.648 million km2, is the fourth largest country in Asia. The country has 30 provinces, 293 districts, 885 cities, and approximately 68,000 villages. The total population, which doubled in the course of the last three decades of the 20th century, was estimated to be 65.5 million.

The economic growth rate and investment levels have generally been stable in the recent past. The main problems, in this regard, are inappropriate investment and saving policies and continuous high inflation rate. Furthermore, unemployment is high especially among women. As a result, the real income of an average household has been under severe pressure and 15 to 25% of the population lives in poverty.

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Health Situation

Over the last 20 years, The Islamic Republic of Iran has made remarkable progress in the health sector with much improvement in various health indices. An elaborate system of health network has been established which has ensured provision of Primary Health Care (PHC) to the vast majority of public. However, access and availability of health care continues to be somewhat limited in lesser developed provinces where the health indices are also lower as compared to national averages. The country is in an epidemiologic transition and faces double burden of the diseases. New emerging threats should also be considered. The demographic and epidemiological transition underway will have a significant effect on the pattern of morbidity and mortality in the near and distance future, especially as it affects the emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases and the special health problems of an aging population.

Profile

Demographic indicators
 

		Y
Area in square kilometers	1648000	2003
Total population in thousands	68467	2003
% Urban population out of total population	66	2003
Crude birth rate per 1000 population	18.1b	2003
Crude death rate per 1000 population	5.0	2003
% Population growth rate	1.2	2002
% Population below 15 years	29.6	2005
% Population 65 years and over	4.6	2005
% Dependency ratio	52	2005
Total fertility rate	2.0	2000

Y =  Reference year for data provided
na =  Not available for 2000-2005
a =  2004
b =  2003
c =  2001

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National Health Policy/ HFA Strategy

In the fourth five-year National Development Plan (2004-2008), the Islamic Republic of Iran has reiterated its commitment to the delivery of comprehensive health care as the right of all individuals. The policy has also outlined its enduring support to the policy guidelines of health for all with targeted adaptation to the prevailing socio-economic and cultural realities of the country .In this framework, the Government/ Ministry of Health and Medical Education is committed to improve the quality of life of the citizen and made the following precise choices:

• Improving the quality and access to public health services.
   

• Advocating and contributing to the multi-sectoral efforts for creating sustainable health environment, promoting mental health, healthy lifestyles, prevention and control of variety of behavior related conditions such as road traffic accidents, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS
   

• Ensuring food safety and security, reducing malnutrition elimination and eradication of communicable diseases and reduce the burden and risk factors of non-communicable and mental and emotional diseases and conditions like substances abuse.
   

• Upgrading the available facilities and skills for production of pharmaceuticals and biological products by using good manufacturing practices to ensure the quality of these products meet international standards particularly the requirement of WTO/TRIPS.
   

• Ensuring equity, social justice and fairness of financial contribution through covering the poor people by health insurance and social welfare services. In addition reducing the share of out-of-pocket health expenditure from the total health expenditure to 30% and increasing the index fro FFC to .90 are in the 4th Development Plan Law.

Current challenges presently facing the health sector include:

The need for policy making to be institutionalized within the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and other relevant organizations and institutions based increasingly on evidence generated within the country.

Efforts to secure to additional resources for the health system should be coupled with policies and actions to improve governance, improved fiscal controls, effective human resource development and management based on current and projected needs.

Introduction of performance based management, cost effective health interventions and concrete accountability measures.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Education is well aware of the need for inter-sectoral collaboration in dealing with many of the current and emerging health issues and should now cultivate a stronger political presence/lobby in the national decision making process to assume the leadership in this vital area.

Considerable data being collected by different component units of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education should be incorporated under the auspices of comprehensive national health information systems the output of which is used for policy making and improved program management at all levels of health system.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Education's commendable efforts in mobilizing community involvement for health related activities require further consolidation with increased emphasis on community empowerment.

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