22 April 2024

17 April 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – To bolster emergency medical services, WHO has donated 40 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and 1250 AED pads to the Iranian National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). The donation was co-funded by the European Union. These resources will significantly enhance the prehospital capacities of NEMO. The assets will be strategically distributed among the provinces of Hormozgan, Kerman, Razavi Khorasan, and Sistan and Baluchestan. These provinces often face challenges in accessing adequate medical resources during emergency situations. AEDs can save lives during sudden cardiac arrests. An...

24 March 2024

20 March 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – The Islamic Republic of Iran was well on track to eliminate malaria. Recently, however, climate change-related floods have affected the country, expanding its mosquito habitat and driving malaria transmission. WHO has launched a new project to revive malaria prevention and control in the country’s south-eastern provinces, which host vulnerable populations, including Afghan refugees. This project has been made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Japan. The project, entitled Reinforcing Malaria Elimination as Humanitarian Assistance in the Islamic Republic of...

05 March 2024

3 March 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – The 28th Technical Meeting of the Group of Five (G5), on “Women and Family Health”, in collaboration with WHO, convened in Tehran on 13–15 February 2024. Esteemed leaders and experts took part in the meeting, marking a milestone in regional health cooperation.  The inaugural session featured speeches by esteemed figures including Dr Ensiyeh Khazali, Vice President for Women and Family Affairs; Ayatollah Rashad, Head of Research Institute of Islamic Culture and Thought; Dr Bahram Eynollahi, Minister of Health and Medical Education; Dr Shakiba Mohebbi Tabar, Secretary of National Population Task Force; Mr Darzi, Director...

28 February 2024

5 February 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – A major project to advance universal health coverage has been completed by the WHO Country Office in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The project’s focus was to provide critical public health and humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees, host communities and vulnerable populations across the country. Funded by the Government of Japan, the initiative was executed in close partnership with the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education. A main aim of the project was to fortify the Iranian health system’s readiness to...

29 January 2024

29 January 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – To help boost pre-hospital emergency response capacities in Iranian provinces that host Afghan refugee populations, WHO – with support from the Government of France – has donated 3 hardtop ambulances to the Iranian National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). NEMO is the main provider of pre-hospital emergency care in the country. At the handover ceremony, Dr Jafar Miadfar, Head of NEMO, expressed his gratitude to WHO for its continuous efforts to improve pre-hospital emergency services in underprivileged provinces. Highlighting the pressing need for support,...

28 January 2024

25 January 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – A series of specialized self-care training packages has been designed for people with blindness, vision impairment, deafness and hearing loss, as well as their caregivers. The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education devised the series in collaboration with WHO, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) and various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Each package has 2 parts: the first for the individual with the disability and the second for the caregiver. The overarching goal is to empower both individuals with disabilities and their...

28 January 2024

25 January 2024, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – A pioneering self-care training package has been launched to empower people with cerebrospinal injuries by giving them tools and resources to foster independence and reduce reliance on caregivers or health professionals. The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education devised the resource with partners including WHO, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, the State Welfare Organization of Iran and various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Globally, an alarming 250 000 to 500 000 cerebrospinal injuries attributed to road traffic accidents, falls and violence occur each...

24 December 2023

24 December 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – In a significant stride towards bolstering emergency response capacities and healthcare resilience, a trauma and emergency surgery kit (TESK) was generously donated to the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) of Iran. The donation is part of a collaborative initiative between WHO and the Russian Federation. The donation ceremony saw the presence of key figures including Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative and Head of Mission to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr Reza Dehghanpour, the Deputy for Development and Human Resources of...

24 December 2023

23 December 2023 – WHO has successfully led efforts to enhance environmental and occupational health, as well as patient safety, in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s public health sector. This work has been carried out as part of a strategic partnership with the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Over 6 weeks, WHO-designated assessors visited and evaluated 236 facilities: 68 hospitals and 168 laboratories. Assessments were based on both national and international benchmarks that reflect the environmental and social standards set by the World Bank. This huge achievement is part of...

22 November 2023

22 November 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – WHO has partnered with Oslo University Hospital to donate crucial sets of breathing machines and essential medicine to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS). These will help improve the efficacy of treatment for cases of poisoning with methanol, carbon monoxide (CO) or anaesthetic gases. This groundbreaking effort aims to contribute to global knowledge production and foster collaboration among academic institutions globally. The partnership between Oslo University Hospital and SBUMS signifies a crucial step towards improving health and humanitarian services in the Islamic Republic of...

16 November 2023

13 November 2023, Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran – WHO, in partnership with the G5 Secretariat and WHO collaborating centres, ran a successful 6-day training of trainers workshop to enhance hospital management in Afghanistan. The in-depth workshop ran from 28 October to 2 November 2023, with 16 senior managers from Afghanistan and 22 senior managers and officers from the Islamic Republic of Iran taking part. A team of 14 Iranian WHO-trained facilitators covered 8 crucial modules of hospital management: hospital governance; leadership and strategic thinking; quality improvement and patient safety; hospital...

14 November 2023

13 November 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education has put in place a comprehensive self-care education programme tailored to people with disabilities and their caregivers. It achieved this in partnership with WHO, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, the State Welfare Organization of Iran and various nongovernmental organizations. The programme is made up of self-care training packages informed by a thorough needs assessment carried out via interviews and focus group discussions with experts, people with disabilities and caregivers. The diverse range of training...

09 November 2023

9 November 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – WHO has donated vital medical equipment and supplies to enhance emergency response capacity in the wake of the early 2023 earthquake in Khoy, in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan. This initiative has been made possible thanks to United Nations (UN) Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) support. On 28 January 2023, at 21:44 local time, a devastating magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Khoy, leaving more than 1445 people injured and causing significant damage to the region. WHO acted immediately in response to the...

09 November 2023

6 November 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – WHO, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, is spearheading a transformative initiative to enhance access to health care in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Under the Iran COVID-19 Emergency Response Project – Additional Financing (ICERP-AF), WHO is overseeing the deployment of cutting edge medical imaging equipment to 65 public hospitals across 31 provinces. As part of this effort, 42 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, 15 computed tomography (CT) scanners and 14 angiography systems...

05 November 2023

2 November 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – A new partnership between the WHO Iran Country Office and the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) aims to provide essential technical support for the production and institutionalization of the country’s health accounts. The Ministry’s Department of Resource Management and Development is custodian of the Iranian health accounts and the collaboration has come about in response to a request from the Department’s undersecretary. Health accounts provide an up-to-date and systematic description of the financial flows related to the consumption of...

02 November 2023

1 November 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – WHO has announced the culmination of a project that saw 6 state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, which the Government of Japan generously funded, successfully installed in Iranian hospitals. This initiative represents a significant stride in bolstering the diagnostic capacity and resilience of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s health system, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of patient care. The advanced 1.5 Tesla MRI machines have been strategically placed in key referral hospitals identified by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education....

25 October 2023

23 October 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – To combat childhood lead poisoning, the WHO Country Office in the Islamic Republic of Iran has teamed up with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences to mark International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, from 22 to 28 October 2023. This year’s campaign is “End childhood lead poisoning”, with the partners focusing in this case on efforts in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The collaborative initiative kicked off with a one-day symposium attended by health workers, policy-makers and academic communities. A total of 18...

24 October 2023

24 October 2023 – To further strengthen the fight against poliomyelitis, WHO has provided the Islamic Republic of Iran’s National Polio Laboratory with a cutting edge sequencing machine. This donation coincides with World Polio Day 2023, reaffirming the commitment of both WHO and the National Polio Laboratory to eradicate polio and ensure a healthier future for all. The donated machine, renowned for its precision and versatility, will significantly boost the National Polio Laboratory’s genetic sequencing capabilities. This advanced equipment drastically reduces the time required to sequence the virus genome, from days...

17 October 2023

17 October 2023, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran – WHO has announced the successful delivery of 6 state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT) scanners to hospitals across the Islamic Republic of Iran, marking a significant milestone in a joint initiative aimed at bolstering critical health infrastructure within the country. This delivery, undertaken as part of the Iran COVID-19 Emergency Response Project – Additional Financing (ICERP-AF), represents a collaborative effort between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the World Bank and WHO. The project, initiated in January 2022 following a request from...

10 October 2023

10 October 2023, Tehran – Today is World Mental Health Day, a chance for people and communities to unite behind the theme “Mental health is a universal human right”. The aim of the global day is to improve knowledge, raise awareness, and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.  WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, supported the Iran Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease Association in planning the country’s first national training of trainers workshop...

16 August 2023

16 August 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held training-of-trainers courses on patient safety-friendly frameworks to develop the capacity of health care professionals to implement these frameworks in the country. Dr Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran, inaugurated each course in the presence of officials from the Ministry and the National Institute for Health Research. During the first course, participants, including focal persons for patient safety from 31 universities of medical...

15 August 2023

15 August 2023 – A 32-year-old woman of Afghan nationality, Zoleykha lives in Shirabad, an underprivileged neighbourhood in the suburb of Zahedan, the capital city of Sistan and Baluchistan province in southeast of the Islamic Republic of Iran. She is divorced, and her 2 children live with their father. In early 2022, Zolyekha presented to Shirabad Community Mental Health Centre complaining of insomnia, loss of appetite, apathy and suicidal thoughts, among other issues. She was told that she had severe depression, and that she needed to receive psychiatric care and treatment. However, she...

26 July 2023

Tehran, 26 July – To enhance the capacity of hospital emergency units for responding to mass casualty incidents, the Health Emergencies Unit of WHO country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran held the First National Training of Trainers Workshop on Mass Casualty Management from 16 to 19 July 2023 in Tehran. Twenty-five emergency medicine specialists from 18 medical universities in 13 provinces attended this course, organized in collaboration with the Deputy for Curative Affairs of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the Health Managers Development Institute. Supervised by...

18 July 2023

Tehran, 18 July 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held a workshop on basic emergency care from 10 to 13 July 2023. Developed by WHO and the International Committee of the Red Cross, together with the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, to improve outcomes for acutely ill and injured individuals in emergency settings, the workshop was intended for frontline health care providers who manage acute illness and injury with limited resources. The Islamic Republic of...

14 June 2023

18 June 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered the first 3 MRI machines as a part of a project that is funded by the Government of Japan aimed at strengthening the diagnostic capacity of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s health system. The state-of-the-art 1.5-Tesla MRI scanners will be installed in hospitals identified by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. A total of 6 MRI machines will be delivered through the implementation of this project. The first 3 machines arrived at target hospitals, namely, Kosar Hospital in Semnan,...

07 June 2023

7 June 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new project funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). This project focuses on preparedness and response to public health emergencies that stem from multiple hazards. The project is designed to assist refugees and other vulnerable populations in 16 provinces in the Islamic Republic of Iran.  The specific objective of this project is to enhance capacities and functions of health facilities, including outreach services, with the aim of triggering early action in an event of an infectious...

29 May 2023

29 May 2023 – Marking the success of about 2 years of hard work, WHO and project partners celebrated the opening of a standard isolation room in a select long-term care facility in Pakdasht, Tehran.  The isolation room at this facility and numerous other facilities across the country have been set up as part of the project “Improving access to inclusive health care services for the elderly and people living with disabilities during COVID-19 in Islamic Republic of Iran,” co-funded by WHO, the European Union (ECHO), and the Government of Canada.   During...

25 May 2023

25 May 2023 – Islamic Republic of Iran hosted a 5-day subregional meeting entitled "First health care leadership and governance training programme" with attendance of G5 Member States, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, and WHO, together with Tajikistan as the observer member. The meeting, held 6–10 May focused on building governance, leadership, and managerial capacity of high-level health care managers of the G5 countries to address common health challenges at national and regional level. The meeting was inaugurated in the presence of ministers of health of the respective countries,...

17 May 2023

17 May 2023 – World Health Organization and the Association for Protection of People with Spinal Cord Disabilities joined forces to collaborate in reaching the most vulnerable population to provide support in the daily need for health-related hygienic consumables. Through the established foundation for improving the quality of life and access to essential health services for people living with disabilities, WHO is working with local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for achieving more equitable, inclusive and comprehensive goals. One hundred and twenty (120) identified individuals with severe disabilities, including national and refugee populations...

26 February 2023

26 February 2023 – In its continuous efforts to extend health services to those most in need, the World Health Organization (WHO)  has just begun distributing assistive technology and adaptive tools procured within a project co-funded by WHO, the European Union, and the Government of Canada, in line with goal to achieve “Health for All by All.” The project, “Improving access to inclusive healthcare services for the elderly and people living with disabilities during COVID-19 in Iran,” was launched in 2021 and is set to provide 1000 assistive technology tools for...

20 February 2023

20 February 2023 – The G5 High-Level Expert Meeting on Health Cooperation welcomed the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari in their prestigious summit held on 14–16 February 2022 in Tehran aimed at joint work for joint health problems. The first of its kind in a series of high-profile meetings of G5 member states on health, it was attended by directors of blood transfusion organizations in the Region representing Afghanistan, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, and experts from WHO headquarters in Geneva...

20 February 2023

     20 February 2023 – Ms Hamdam Moazeni, a 72-year-old retiree, is an active member of her local community. She has been a representative of the elderly population in District 6 of Tehran since 2012. She helped organize and attended the Happy Seniors Citizens Festival as a game supervisor and a team member. Their team is called Javanan-e-Dirooz meaning Youngsters of Yesterday in the Nezami Ganjavi neighbourhood. With a successful background as a principal at various schools, she has extensive experience working with teenagers. To Ms Moazemi, a prominent value of the...

13 February 2023

13 February 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO), through the financial support of the Government of Japan, has launched a project that aims at amplifying public health and humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees and vulnerable populations in the Islamic Republic of Iran in a move toward strengthening universal health coverage globally. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education throughout 2023 and will address 3 priorities: 1) minimizing the risk of epidemic-prone diseases from cross-border movements and in vulnerable communities; 2) increasing...

22 December 2022

22 December 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, the WHO Country Office, the UN Resident Coordinator and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran convened to unveil joint strategic priorities in environmental and occupational health. This event, held on 29 November, was the culmination of a visit of an Iranian mission to the WHO Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action. The purpose of this mission, headed by Dr Jafar Jandaghi, the Director-General of the Centre of Environmental and...

15 December 2022

15 December 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Center for Environmental and Occupational Health of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, recently organized a high-level strategic meeting to introduce energy efficient business models and solutions to enhance the health sector’s sustainability and climate resilience. The high-profile meeting, held on 22 November 2022 at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, brought together experts in the field from government and...

27 November 2022

27 November 2022 – In line with progress towards results and to achieve the determined objectives of the ECHO project “Improving access to inclusive health care for elderly and people living with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic”, the World Health Organization (WHO) country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran, together with the State Welfare Organisation (SWO), organized and conducted several briefing and training sessions to build capacity and engage stakeholders and staff of long-term care facilities.  The project has been designed to reduce the risk and improve the response capacity in...

21 November 2022

21 November 2022 – As a developing country with a diverse climate, Islamic Republic of Iran faces many climate-related challenges. At this year’s International Day of Climate Action, WHO, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and other relevant government organizations gathered together to explore the avenues to mitigate the health impacts of climate change. With about 80% of the country having arid or semi-arid climate, the Islamic Republic of Iran is faced with numerous climate hazards, including heat stress, drought, and air pollution, which carry serious implications for public health....

22 September 2022

22 September 2022 – 22 September 2022 – In a visit to Gorgan, Golestan province, representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education participated in a ceremony to officially launch cold room facilities in 2 provinces. The facilities, comprising 3 cold rooms in Golestan province and another 2 in Kohgiluyeh an Boyer-Ahmad, were equipped by WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, using funds from the Government of Canada under the joint project...

13 September 2022

Tehran, 13 September 2022 – Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran, accompanied by a WHO team, visited a care centre affiliated with the Association for the Protection of People Living with Spinal Cord Disabilities to learn about the range of services offered by the Association and explore avenues for future partnership.  The Association for the Protection of People Living with Spinal Cord Disabilities was founded in 2006 by the late Dr Ali Zarrabi with the aim of promoting the health and well-being...

21 August 2022

Tehran, 21 August 2022 – The project, co-funded by the World Health Organization, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and the Government of Canada, aims to support innovative activities to increase the COVID-19 response capacity of long-term care facilities, procure assistive technologies for the most vulnerable, and train caregivers in providing tailor-made services to older persons and people living with disabilities through an online platform for research and training. It is estimated that more than 7000 older persons and people living with disabilities in long-term care facilities will have...

12 July 2022

11 July 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with the project-implementing partners, conducted on-site visits to 3 shortlisted long‑term care facilities under the EU and Canada co-funded project. This project, titled “Improving access to inclusive health care in long-term care facilities and enhancing the quality of life and dignity of the most vulnerable populations in Islamic Republic of Iran during the time of emergencies and pandemics” (such as COVID), aims to contribute to achieving universal health coverage for the elderly and...

16 June 2022

Thursday, 16 June 2022 – A team from the World Health Organization (WHO) country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran stepped forward to take part in the recent World Blood Donor Day. A team of six WHO staff joined together on Thursday, 16 June, to donate blood to mark World Blood Donor Day, celebrated annually on 14 June, at a blood donation centre operating under the auspices of the Iran Blood Transfusion Organization. Headed by WHO Deputy Representative Dr Mikiko Senga, the initiative aimed to increase awareness of safe blood donation. “The...

19 May 2022

Thursday, 19 May 2022 – Occupational health and safety (OHS) and multilateral collaboration at the regional and country level were discussed during a tripartite meeting between the World Health Organization (WHO) country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran, WHO’s regional Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, held in Amman, Jordan, on 18 May 2022. Part of a three-day high-level mission from Islamic Republic of Iran to Jordan, the...

18 May 2022

18 May 2022 – The WHO country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran organized a mission with officials from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Islamic Republic of Iran to WHO’s Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA) in Amman, Jordan, to explore the potential for cross-cutting collaboration and to establish a platform to exchange knowledge and experience in areas relating to environmental and occupational health. The 3-day high-level meeting, which began on 16 May, involved technical discussions with the key objectives of: sharing best practices and lessons learned...

28 April 2022

Thursday, 28 April 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, United Nations agencies active in the field of health and representatives from the international community came together to join forces in commemoration of World Health Day 2022 and reaffirm individual and bilateral commitments in a meeting held on Tuesday 26 April in Tehran. The third of its kind in a bimonthly series held at the request of the Minister of Health and Medical Education Dr Bahram Eynollahi as an...

21 April 2022

21 April 2022 – In line with plans to support countries to strengthen their health sector response to tuberculosis (TB), the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and country office, provided technical support to a 2-day workshop on 17–18 April, organized by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Islamic Republic of Iran, on development of a national strategic plan in line with most recent global guidance and available frameworks, to end TB in the country. The inaugural session of the workshop was attended by WHO Representative in...

18 April 2022

Monday 11 April 2022 – In order to strengthen national capacity in public health emergency preparedness, the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Islamic Republic of Iran organized a capacity-building training workshop on infodemic management facilitated by a team of WHO experts from WHO headquarters. The first of its kind across the globe, the 4-day training of trainers was held 7-10 March using a hybrid modality at the WHO country oOffice in Tehran and gathered over 90 team leaders and experts from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and all...

18 April 2022

Sunday, 17 April 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in the Islamic Republic of Iran has stepped up support to the country in building capacity to implement International Health Regulations (IHR) by conducting a 2-day workshop on risk communication and community engagement, with an emphasis on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic The workshop, planned as part of a 2-week mission to the country, aimed at enhancing national emergency preparedness and response in health crises, and was facilitated by Ms Rose Aynsley, WHO consultant on RCCE from the WHO Regional Office for...

10 April 2022

Our Planet, Our Health: Act Now for Healthier Tomorrow   Sunday, 10 April 2022 – World Health Day 2022 was commemorated by the World Health Organization in the Islamic Republic of Iran in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education during a formal event organized on Sunday, 10 April by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. The event welcomed students in different fields of health and medicine at the university, as well as experts and specialists from a myriad of backgrounds and provided a platform for keynote speeches by...

28 February 2022

28 February 2022 – WHO has provided 1480 SARS-CoV-2 kits to support research on SARS-CoV-2 in the Islamic Republic of Iran, procured with financial support from Germany. The kits are a quick, convenient and accurate research tool for the measuring of immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines in different target populations. The US$ 700 000 consignment was officially handed over to the Pasteur Institute of Tehran last week by WHO team members. It includes 1470 ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kits and 10 Elecsys kits, both used in the detection and quantification of...

15 February 2022

Monday, 14 February 2022 – In a recent two-day visit to Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (UMS) in the southern and border province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Islamic Republic of Iran, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Head of Mission Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain met with local health authorities to review the efforts made in scaling up health services in the province and to explore avenues of collaboration in promoting national plans in the area of health and health promotion in the area. The visit on February 1–2 mainly aimed to...

19 January 2022

Wednesday, 19 January 2022 – As part of national plans to intensify implementation and promotion of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Healthy Cities Programme in the country, a 3-day national training session was conducted for participants from a host of universities and institutions, as well as nongovernmental organizations, in 10 cities across the Islamic Republic of Iran. Training was held on 28 December 2021, 5 January and 12 January 2022, as a collaborative effort between the WHO country office in Islamic Republic of Iran, Ministry of Health and Medical Education and...

18 January 2022

Tuesday, 18 January 2022 – The World Health Organization has delivered 6 sets of advanced genomic sequencing equipment with next-generation sequencing technology procured through financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany to 3 diagnostic and reference centres in Islamic Republic of Iran, namely the National Influenza Reference Laboratory, the Pasteur Institute of Tehran, and the Virology Research Center of Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran. The devices were officially handed over by WHO Representative and Head of Mission Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain on 12 and 13 January to the directors of the...

14 January 2022

Tehran, 13 January 2022 – Islamic Republic of Iran has received the first shipment of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Government of Japan and a second shipment will be delivered on 14 January, bringing the total number of donated vaccines to 700 000 doses. The vaccines were shipped through UNICEF procurement channels on behalf of the COVAX Facility and arrived at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport on Thursday 13 January 2022. The COVAX Facility is a partnership, co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi - the Vaccine Alliance and...

11 January 2022

Monday, 11 January 2021 – In a recent effort to enhance the cold chain system and improve existing capacities in laboratories of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the World Health Organization (WHO) has procured and donated a total number of 208 advanced refrigerators and 210 suction equipment through financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany. The donation, made possible through the German Federal Foreign Office will greatly contribute to boosting national capacity in the fight against COVID-19 amid circulation of new variants. They were delivered to the Ministry of Health...

07 January 2022

  Thursday, 6 January 2021 – In order to help strengthen the screening capacity of genetic variants causing COVID-19 in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the World Health Organization (WHO) has donated 6 sets of advanced genomic sequencing equipment with next-generation sequencing technology through financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany. The donation, procured through the German Federal Foreign Office, honours a request by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to help boost the existing testing and screening capacities, particularly the fast-circulating variant of concern ‘Omicron’. The advanced genomic sequencing...

26 December 2021

Saturday, 25 December 2021 – In its continuous technical and operational support to the Islamic Republic of Iran in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, the World Health Organization has just donated 2 million nucleic acid extraction tests to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran through financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany. The 60-ton shipment of 261 packages, procured through the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), landed at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport early on Friday, 24 December, and will be distributed to public medical laboratories across...

23 December 2021

23 December 2021 – During a recent visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran facilitated by the World Health Organization (WHO), a team of experts from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) of Germany met with national health authorities and professionals in order to analyse the ongoing in-country response to COVID-19 and share experiences and best practices through reviewing achievements, identifying challenges, laying down recommendations, and assessing potential areas of cooperation. The six-day mission, which began on 22 November, was headed by Dr Andreas Jansen, Director of the Information Center for International...

21 December 2021

21 December 2021 – As part of the process to develop an adapted framework for the national Healthy Cities network in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a two-day regional workshop was held in a collaboration among the WHO Regional Office and country office, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and the Health Services Management Research Center at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The workshop, held on 3 and 4 November, aimed to create an opportunity for focused and in-depth regional dialogue on the promotion of Healthy Cities through the establishment...

16 December 2021

– The 3-day visit aimed to provide a platform for consultations and discussions on the proposed strategy by local authorities to scale up national capacity in health workforce education by enrolling additional medical students in universities of medical sciences. The proposal has been triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic that has weakened health systems worldwide, including in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and caused an immense burden on health systems and workforce. During the visit, a number of meetings were held with Health Minister Dr Bahram Eynollahi, and a number of relevant...

08 December 2021

8 December – In a new commitment to support national immunization efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have signed an agreement for a partnership to strengthen the local vaccine cold chain system, with a focus on remote and underprivileged areas of the country. The high calibre joint agreement was signed by WHO Representative and Head of Mission Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain and UNIDO Representative Ms Maryam Javan Shahraki, during an official ceremony at the WHO country office on 6 December, in the presence of...

06 December 2021

  Monday 6 December – In response to a temporary shortage of intravenous (IV) fluids in the country, the World Health Organization has procured and delivered 260 000 packs of various types of IV fluids to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The shipment containing US$ 156 000 worth of IV solutions was released from Customs in Bandar Abbas in the southern province of Hormozgan last week and arrived in the capital city of Tehran on Monday 6 December. “The supply of these life-saving IV solutions...

06 December 2021

“While global efforts over the past 40 years have yielded remarkable achievements and impressive milestones, we must admit that HIV still poses serious challenges to the public and global health system,” said Minister of Health and Medical Education Dr Bahram Eynollahi in his opening message. “Controlling the HIV/AIDS pandemic is contingent upon multisectoral and comprehensive cooperation, and we are proud today that over 23 governmental and nongovernmental organizations in the Islamic Republic of Iran are collaborating to put in place policies and strategic planning to contain HIV infections,” he asserted. As...

29 November 2021

29 November – To support the Iranian national health system in promoting the well-being of the elderly and people living with disabilities, WHO is implementing a project in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the State Welfare Organization of Iran to improve access to inclusive health care in nursing homes and enhance the quality of life and dignity of these vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The project, co-funded by European Union humanitarian aid, started in June 2021 and will last 21 months. It is supporting catalytic...

27 November 2021

The Ministry engaged in global campaign activities to warn against the inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics, increase knowledge about antimicrobial resistance and spread awareness about household, workplace, community and/or governmental actions that could affect its control or spread.   Awareness-raising messages were translated into Farsi and 9000 banners and posters were developed jointly by WHO and the ministry highlighting the slogan ‘Spread awareness, stop resistance’ under the theme ‘Antimicrobials: Handle with care’. Campaign materials were distributed and displayed at hospitals and primary health care centres across the country. WHO and the Ministry...

17 November 2021

Sunday, 17 November 2021, Tehran – The World Health Organization (WHO) in the Islamic Republic of Iran is supporting national efforts, supervised by the Primary Health Care (PHC) Management Centre of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Institute For Futures Studies in Health of Kerman, to ensure patient safety in health care settings through holding a virtual training workshop on the implementation of WHO’s Patient Safety Friendly PHC Framework. The framework was jointly launched by Deputy Minister for Public Health Dr Kamal Heidari and WHO Representative and Head of...

16 November 2021

Tehran, 15 November 2021 – This evening, a first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines landed at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran, provided as part of the Humanitarian Buffer mechanism of the COVAX Facility to help the Government vaccinate more refugees. A second shipment of the vaccine will land in the country on 16 November, bringing the total number of vaccines provided through the international mechanism to 1 611 600 doses. Safety boxes and syringes for these vaccines will be shipped to the...

08 November 2021

Sunday, 31 October 2021, Tehran – The sixth round of Mental Health International Exhibition of Photography announced its winners during the closing ceremony on Sunday, 31 October, at the Razi Conference Hall of Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. This year’s event drew a record number of 3872 artists from 82 countries submitting more than 30 000 pieces of work, with winners coming from China, Hong Kong, Hungary, Malaysia, Republic of Ireland, Russian Federation, Spain, Turkey, Viet Nam, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Similar to the previous round, the...

08 November 2021

8 November 2021, Tehran – Experts from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, academia, and authors contributing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change from Islamic Republic of Iran came together with World Health Organization professionals on Saturday 6 November to participate in the UN Global Conference on Health and Climate Change. The Islamic Republic of Iran is partaking in the Conference of Parties of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) by presenting 3 nationally determined contribution reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC),...

01 November 2021

27 October 2021, Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran – The World Health Organization plans to boost support to the Islamic Republic of Iran in delivering health care services to the Afghan community, as well as the host population in the country, orchestrated in collaboration with UNHCR and other local partners and in light of the recent developments in neighbouring Afghanistan which has spurred a new influx of refugees into the country.  The decision was announced by WHO Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain who visited the...

26 October 2021

Tehran, 26 October 2021 – The Government of Japan has renewed its long-standing solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran by signing a project agreement with the WHO country office to support efforts to strengthen the COVID-19 response across the country. The financial donation agreement was signed between Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Islamic Republic of Iran, and Mr Hirotaka Matsuo, Charge d'Affaires ad interim in Japan to the Islamic Republic of Iran, during a ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday 26 October 2021, attended by Dr Jalal...

20 October 2021

Tehran, 18 October 2021 – The Islamic Republic of Iran has received 1 442 000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, of which 1 139 600 doses were donated by the Italian Government and 302 400 doses by the German Government. The vaccines were shipped through UNICEF procurement channels on behalf of the COVAX Facility and arrived at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport on Monday 18 October 2021. The COVAX Facility is a partnership, co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside...

12 October 2021

12 October 2021, Tehran – The recently appointed Minister of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr Bahram Eynollahi, met and greeted representatives of United Nations agencies in the country with health-related roles and mandates on Sunday 10 October at a formal gathering in his office in Tehran. During the event, UN representatives briefly discussed their agency’s programmes and achievements and expressed enthusiasm in continuing to ramp up collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in the new administration. Dr Eynollahi pointed to the meeting’s coincidence...

03 October 2021

3 October 2021, Tehran – The WHO country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran has contributed to strengthening national diagnostic capacity in the Islamic Republic of Iran by procuring IT devices for the National Influenza Centre in Tehran. The devices were officially handed over by the WHO Representative to Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain to Dr Talat Mokhtari-Azad, Director of the Iranian National Influenza Centre, Head of Virology Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, School of Public Health, during a visit on Wednesday, 29 September 2021, accompanied...

29 September 2021

27 September 2021, Tehran – The WHO country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran has supported maintenance of the vaccine cold chain in the country by equipping the existing cold rooms with 16 00 electronic temperature loggers. These temperature loggers, procured through funds from the State of Kuwait, were delivered to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. To officially hand over the procured devices, the WHO Representative and Head of Mission to the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain visited the Yakhchiabad Health Commodities Warehouse affiliated to the...

22 September 2021

22 September 2021, Tehran – World Patient Safety Day 2021 was observed in the Islamic Republic of Iran on 19 September this year during a formal online ceremony organized by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education with the virtual attendance of WHO Representative Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, ministerial authorities and representatives from universities of medical sciences in different provinces. The virtual event themed ‘Act Now for Safe and Respectful Childbirth!’ commenced with opening remarks by Dr Hussain underlining the importance of maintaining a quality health system in which health services are effective,...

15 September 2021

15 September 2021 – The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Islamic Republic of Iran is managed through a ‘whole-of-government’ approach. WHO, with its partners, has been actively working with the Government to support surveillance, develop standards and guidelines, ensure availability of vaccines, provide life-saving equipment and supplies and monitor trends. WHO was able to implement a project to bring diagnostic and therapeutic equipment through a US$ 50 million World Bank loan facility. As of yesterday, a total of 5 360 387 confirmed cases have been reported since the onset of...

12 September 2021

Tehran, 11 September 2021 – The COVAX Facility is a partnership, co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi-The Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The consignment is the fourth COVAX shipment to the country, with future consignments of the approved allocation of COVID vaccines to be delivered very soon, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, through UNICEF procurement channel. The Sinopharm vaccines for the Islamic Republic of of Iran, landed at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport...

02 September 2021

Tehran, 2 September 2021 – The COVAX Facility is a partnership, co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi - the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The consignment is the third COVAX shipment to the country, with future consignments of the approved allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to be delivered soon, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, through the UNICEF procurement channel. The AstraZeneca vaccines landed at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport on Thursday 2 September...

22 August 2021

Tehran, 21 August 2021 – WHO continues to closely monitor the situation of the COVID-19 outbreak in Islamic Republic of Iran. The Organization reiterates its commitment to support the country in responding to the pandemic. WHO acknowledges an increase in the frequency of vaccination recently after deployment of international and locally-made vaccines. Based on the data shared by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, as of 20 August 2021, 21 805 879 doses of different vaccines have been administered in Islamic Republic of Iran. Of these, 16 378 331 were...

19 August 2021

Tehran, 19 August 2021 – WHO expresses concern over the COVID-19 outbreak in Islamic Republic of Iran, and its impact on the lives, well-being, and livelihoods of the Iranian people. The Organization remains committed to working with all partners to saves lives, ensure well-being, and control infection across the country. As COVID-19 continues to hit the country aggressively, the level of vaccination coverage is low. As of 16 August 2021, 13.1% of the total population have received a first dose and 5.15% have received 2 doses. While delays in delivering sufficient...

16 August 2021

10 August 2021, Tehran – Sahand, a new town in the East Azerbaijan province of Islamic Republic of Iran, has just been presented with a healthy city award in recognition of its achievements under WHO’s Healthy Cities programme.  The award was officially presented during a formal ceremony on 10 August by WHO Representative to Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain to the Minister of Health and Medical Education Dr Saeid Namaki and Governor of Osku County Mr Babak Razimanesh, in the virtual presence of WHO Regional Director for Eastern...

13 July 2021

13 July 2021 – Following the World Health Organization (WHO)'s declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health emergency, the Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Islamic Republic of Iran developed an evidence-based response plan as of March 2020. In line with WHO guidelines for mental health and essential services through the COVID-19 pandemic and supported by WHO country office, the plan provides psychosocial and consultation support using a wide range of approaches and implementing best practices from around the...

29 June 2021

Tehran, 29 June 2021 – The establishment of a national tobacco cessation helpline and tobacco cessation service clinics across the Islamic Republic of Iran was announced at a launching event at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.  The event was attended by the WHO Representative to Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain and WHO technical team members, the Deputy Health Minister of Public Health Dr Alireza Raeisi, and other officials from the Ministry of Health and Medical Sciences and universities of medical sciences, physicians and staff, and helpline operators. The...

22 June 2021

22 June 2021 – The World Health Organization is supporting the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Islamic Republic of Iran to implement well stablished national plans to control and eliminate childhood cancer by providing over 10 essential medicines for childhood cancer. The life-saving medicine, which was brought into the country earlier this year through funds provided by the European Union, is crucial in treating children with paediatric cancer at risk due to the scarcity or unavailability of specialised pharmaceuticals in light of the re-imposed unilateral sanctions in 2018. The consignment was...

17 June 2021

17 June 2021 – WHO and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education observed World Blood Donor Day on 14 June in an event organized by the WHO Representative Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain. The Ministry was represented by Dr Payman Eshgi, Managing Director of Islamic Republic of Iran's Blood Transfusion Organization and President of High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, which is also a WHO collaborating centre. He delivered a message on behalf of His Excellency the Minister of Health and Medical Education of Islamic Republic of Iran.  The...

17 May 2021

  Tehran, 17 May 2021 – Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the self-financing participant countries of the COVAX Facility, has received a second batch of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine containing 1 452 000 doses.  The COVAX Facility is a partnership, co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi - the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The consignment is the second COVAX shipment to the country, with future consignments of the approved allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to be delivered,...

06 April 2021

Tehran, 6 April 2021 – The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the self-financing participant countries of the COVAX Facility, has received the first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, consisting of 700 800 doses.  The COVAX Facility, is a partnership co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner UNICEF.  The consignment is the first COVAX shipment to the country, with future consignments to be delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical...

11 January 2021

Tehran, 11 January 2021 - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran have delivered life-saving medical and diagnostic equipment to public hospitals and laboratories across the country to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The procurement is part of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (ICERP), a collaboration between WHO and and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education initiated on 16 June 2020 and funded at US $50 million in an effort to support the country’s health care...

26 October 2020

Introduction Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education is ramping up health awareness activities during the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is well-established that COVID-19 selects its victims from among individuals with pre-existing conditions, particularly those caused by tobacco use. Furthermore, evidence indicates that smoking waterpipes plays the role of a vehicle for COVID-19 transmission. Augmenting public awareness is key as well as tobacco control actions on a regular basis about this link to reduce the burden of COVID-19. It is also essential to avert the tobacco industry efforts to...

18 October 2020

Tehran, 18 October 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered 150 medical ventilators and 100 high-performance real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) thermal cyclers to the Islamic Republic of Iran to further support the country’s health system in its efforts to respond to the COVID-19 health emergency. PCR testing represents the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19. The addition of the new devices, worth more than US$ 2.8 million, procured through contributions from German Humanitarian Assistance and other international partners, will increase the testing capacity of the country’s laboratory network....

21 July 2020

Tehran, 21 July 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered 16 CT scan machines to strengthen Islamic Republic of Iran’s emergency response to COVID-19. CT scanning is a key component of clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 patients. The units, worth more than US$ 4 million, were procured by WHO through support from the governments of Japan and Kuwait. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, WHO is supporting Islamic Republic of Iran’s efforts to turn the course of the disease. By delivering vital equipment and medicines, training health workers and raising...

02 July 2020

Tehran, 2 July 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered necessary supplies to strengthen the influenza response of the national influenza centre in the Islamic Republic of Iran. While fully engaged in providing emergency support for the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, WHO continues to further strengthen its support for the national influenza programme. The WHO shipment including laboratory supplies for influenza testing by real time PCR and viral isolation was delivered to the national influenza centre to prepare the country for the upcoming winter...

20 June 2020

Tehran, 20 June 2020 – WHO delivered another shipment of COVID-19 test kits to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The shipment included 1600 laboratory test kits, allowing for 160 000 diagnostic tests. The kits, which are based on PCR technology, are considered the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19. Dr Christoph Hamelmann, WHO Representative, handed over the kits to the Director of Pasteur Institute of Iran, Dr Alireza Biglari. WHO has provided Islamic Republic of Iran with multiple shipments of test kits since the...

18 June 2020

Tehran, 18 June – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered supplies to the National Polio Laboratory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The laboratory’s main function is to isolate, identify, and perform genomic sequencing of poliovirus strains. The deliveries include serological pipettes, reaction plates, centrifuge tubes, and cell culture flasks. In addition to supplies, WHO provides the National Polio Laboratory with training for its staff, and evaluates the performance and proficiency of the laboratory on an annual basis. The National Polio Laboratory, located in the School of Public Health of Tehran...

16 June 2020

Tehran, 16 June – The World Health Organization (WHO) delivered an additional 2200 vials of remdesivir to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The medication is to be used for the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19 within the framework of the Global Solidarity Trial, a multinational project launched by WHO to find an effective treatment for the disease. Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been hard hit by the disease, has been an active participant in the trial since its initiation on 23...

10 June 2020

Tehran, 10 June 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) delivered 2 shipments of supplies, chiefly personal protective equipment (PPE), to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The PPE will boost the country’s efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. "Islamic Republic of Iran's battle against the disease began early, and its health workers continue the fight," says Dr Christophe Hamelmann, WHO Representative. "As the months go by, protective gear needs to be constantly replenished to keep medical staff safe." The shipment, weighing around 3 000 kg,...

09 June 2020

Tehran, 9 June 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered 20 arterial-blood gas (ABG) analysis devices to the Islamic Republic of Iran to support the country's fight against COVID-19. This shipment, which was funded by the Government of Japan, is the second of 2 medical aid deliveries including a total of 75 ABG analyzers. ABG analyzers are essential equipment in the fight against COVID-19, as they are used to assess and monitor critically ill patients. ABG analysis provides valuable measures of blood oxygenation and acid-base balance, as well as...

03 May 2020

Tehran, 3 May - As Islamic Republic of Iran works to control the spread of COVID-19, volunteers have been mobilized to produce tens of thousands of masks and other protective gear for health workers and regular citizens. To organize such volunteers particularly in underprivileged areas of Tehran, the Cultural and Art Organization of the Municipality of Tehran provided space and equipment to run workshops. The masks made there are distributed for free to those who cannot afford them. "During this devastating crisis, Iranians have stepped up to help their health workers, and...

03 May 2020

Tehran, 3 May 2020 — The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered additional medicines to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its participation in the Solidarity Trial, a global effort to find an effective treatment for COVID-19. The Solidarity Trial is a large, international study designed to discover which treatments for COVID-19 are the most effective. It provides simplified procedures for hospitals even with a very high number of patients. More than 100 countries from all parts of the world are participating. Two countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, including Islamic...

22 April 2020

Tehran, 22 April 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered 45 arterial blood gas analyzers to the Islamic Republic of Iran as essential equipment in the fight against COVID-19. The equipment will facilitate arterial blood gas tests in Iranian hospitals. This measures the acidity, or pH, and the levels of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in an artery. The test is used to check the function of a patient's lungs and how well they are able to move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. This is...

23 March 2020

Tehran, Monday, 23 March 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered a new shipment of emergency medical supplies to the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of COVID-19 response measures. The shipment – the seventh to be delivered to the country since the first COVID-19 cases were reported on 19 February – includes Lopinavir and Ritonavir medicines to be used by health workers for the treatment of patients as part of Islamic Republic of Iran’s contribution to global research studies on treatments for COVID-19. “These important medicines will not only support...

12 March 2020

12 March 2020 - A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), GOARN partners, Robert Koch Institute in Berlin and the Chinese Center for Disease Control concluded a technical support mission on COVID-19 to Islamic Republic of Iran on 10 March 2020. “After five days of extensive meetings and field visits, we see that the country’s strategies and priorities to control COVID19 are evolving in the right direction, a comprehensive coordinated approach is being applied, and solid work is being done, especially in the areas of case management, laboratories,...

02 March 2020

2 March 2020 – A team of WHO experts has landed in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, to support the ongoing response to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the country. The team will work with health authorities and other stakeholders to review ongoing readiness and response efforts, visit designated health facilities, laboratories and points of entry, and provide technical guidance. Overall, the objectives of the mission are to: identify transmission dynamics and at-risk populations; provide guidance on strengthening and scaling up the response to the ongoing outbreak, including agreement on priority...

29 December 2019

24 December 2019 ‒ The World Health Organization (WHO), Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and Allameh Tabataba’i University held a three-day workshop on 24‒26 December 2019 in Tehran on effective communication with the media and target audiences. The workshop provided skills-based training focused on strengthening the capacities of health authorities, including managers and health-related focal points in all government bodies that are members of the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security, on media literacy and effective communication. “There are a range of objectives in the area of health, including...

05 December 2019

Tehran, 5 December 2019 – With support from Japan, WHO has delivered a mobile clinic to the Islamic Republic of Iran to improve access of vulnerable people – especially those displaced or affected by floods – to essential lifesaving health services. The mobile clinic joined the country’s emergency medical service fleet, and will provide outreach services to populations and communities where health facilities do not exist, are not functional or are inaccessible. As the clinic moves from area to area, vulnerable and often displaced communities will be able to receive access...

31 October 2019

Tehran 22 October 2019 – The Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, with the support of WHO, hosted a workshop on the assessment of health vulnerability to climate change in Tehran on 22 and 23 October 2019. The workshop was a first step in developing a national climate change adaptation plan for the health system, and in developing and operationalizing health policy on climate change through coordination between the health and non-health sectors. An assessment of the vulnerability of the country’s...

01 October 2019

Tehran, 1 October 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held a 2-day expert meeting from 1 to 2 October in Tehran on the Science-Policy-Practice Interface for Enhancing Health System Resilience against Floods in the country. The meeting was organized in support of the Special Commission for National Report on Floods appointed by President Dr Hassan Rouhani. The event brought together a diverse array of international experts and national stakeholders from science, policy and practice to...

18 September 2019

Tehran, 18 September 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in the Islamic Republic of Iran has received a special award from the National Emergency Management Organization on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of establishment of the Organization in Islamic Republic of Iran for its outstanding efforts and valuable support to the country in time of emergencies. Dr Christoph Hamelmann, WHO Representative, received the award from Dr Ishaq Jahnagiri, the Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who expressed his appreciation of the work of WHO as the leading United...

03 July 2019

Tehran, 3 July 2019 – Support from the Government of Japan will allow the World Health Organization (WHO) to intensify its ongoing activities in Islamic Republic of Iran for more than 160 000 of the most vulnerable people affected by devastating floods in March and April 2019.

23 June 2019

Tehran, 23 June 2019 – A high-level delegation from Oman visited Islamic Republic of Iran to discuss achievements in the Healthy City Programme and Islamic Republic of Iran's implementation of a Health in All Policies approach to improve community health through strengthened intersectoral collaboration. The two countries shared experiences in how to better engage the community and establish multisectoral mechanisms and they identified potential areas for further collaboration on health-related issues, including expanding the Healthy City Programme in the Region. Dr Christoph Hamelmann, WHO Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran, underscored...

24 April 2019

24 April 2019 – Mahdieh was very worried. The floods had taken away all her belongings. Her newborn Nima was crying in her arms. It had only been 3 months since she was informed about her HIV-positive status and she had to feed her child with formula instead of her milk. The floods had taken away all her medicines and the formula, which had been delivered by health workers to her home 2 days ago. Nima was hungry and Mahdieh could not tell anybody why she couldn't feed her baby...

10 April 2019

Tehran, 10 April 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO) today airlifted essential medical supplies to the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the growing health needs of thousands of people who have been displaced as a result of heavy flooding in many provinces in the country. The supplies include trauma, health, cholera and non-communicable disease kits and other commodities requested by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The floods have been caused by extreme rainfall which began on 19 March, provoking inundations in 28 out of the country’s...

30 January 2019

Tehran 29 January 2019 ‒ Staff of the WHO country office in the Islamic Republic of Iran took part in the futsal, table tennis and chess competitions in the Peace and Friendship Cup in Tehran. WHO participated in the games under the slogan “Let's be active: Everyone, everywhere, everyday”. The Peace and Friendship Cup, also known as the First Diplomatic Sports Tournament, was an initiative of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was held to mark the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in the country. The tournament brought together...

13 December 2018

13 December 2018 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education has conducted a nine-day (8–17 December 2018) training of trainers course on Kish Island to improve public hospital performance within the context of the national health transformation programme towards achieving universal health coverage in the country. The training on leadership and strategic management for hospital chief executive officers in the public sector was organized at the Health Managers Development Institute on Kish Island, as part of a WHO-developed capacity-building programme. The...

21 November 2018

21 November 2018 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education has begun a four-day (21–24 November) training of trainers programme on emergency unit management. Taking place at the Health Managers Development Institute (HMDI), Kish Island, its aim is to build the capacity of the relevant institutes and individuals in the country. It is the first programme of its kind in the Region. Dr Christoph Hamelmann, WHO Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a message to the opening session, underscored...

20 November 2018

21 November 2018 – At the Fourth National Traffic and Safety Conference, Dr Christoph Hamelmann, WHO Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressed the readiness of WHO to expand support for the reduction of road traffic fatalities and injuries in the country.   During his opening remarks addressing hundreds of high-ranking officers and experts from the University of Traffic Police, Dr Christoph Hamelmann highlighted that WHO is working with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and other stakeholders, including the Police Department of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NAJA),...

15 November 2018

15 November 2018 – At the International Congress on Health for Peace from 14 to 16 November in Shiraz, Dr Christoph Hamelmann, WHO Representative for the Islamic Republic of Iran, highlighted the mission of WHO to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable in times of conflict and sanctions. Referring to WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work 2019–2023 he said that WHO's 3 strategic goals were focused on achieving universal health coverage, addressing health emergencies, and promoting healthier populations to contribute to increasing social protection and social cohesion...

14 October 2018

25 October 2018 – The term “University” strikes one as a purely degree-based academic institute for higher education and research. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, medical universities have a unique role as laboratory, engine and responsible driver of an integrated system for health services and medical education, combining service and systems innovations with production of the next generation health workforces and with the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public sector health service delivery, including its management and governance functions. Kerman University of Medical Sciences and its leadership are a particularly...

16 September 2018

17 September 2018 – The Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in collaboration with stockholders from other ministries (such as Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad) and the Food and Drug Administration, has developed a national antimicrobial resistance action plan. It is aligned with the Global Action Plan and follows an incremental approach according to country-specific needs, reflecting the AMR development and making best use of available resources using a multisectoral approach.  In May 2015, the 68th World Health Assembly adopted the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance. The...

09 September 2018

17 September 2018 – Recently, the Islamic Republic of Iran prepared a dossier on the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem which provided information on the current epidemiological situation of trachoma in the country and the systems for identifying and managing patients with Chlamydia trachomatis. Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness and one of 20 neglected tropical diseases that affect over one billion of the world’s poorest people. Elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is defined as: 1) a prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis of less than...

26 June 2018

26 June 2018 – The International Health Partnership for UHC2030 is the global movement to strengthen health systems to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). During WHO's 71st World Health Assembly in May 2018, held in Geneva, Islamic Republic of Iran joined this initiative officially as a member. The signatories of the partnership were H.E. the Minister of Health and Medical Education Dr Seyed Hassan Hashemi, Dr Naoko Yamamoto WHO Assistant Director-General, UHC and Health Systems, and Dr Timothy Evans, Senior Director, Health, Nutrition, and Population-Global Practice of World Bank.  In May 2014,...

27 May 2018

Lyon, France, 16 May 2018 – The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is pleased to welcome the Islamic Republic of Iran as a new Participating State. The Islamic Republic of Iran today becomes the 26th country to join the Agency, sealing a long-standing relationship of collaboration between IARC and Iranian scientists. “The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown its strong commitment to promoting research on cancer prevention and strengthening cancer control programmes,” says IARC Director Dr Christopher Wild. “The country can play a key role in...