WHO and CEHA staff and officials from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education hold technical discussions in Amman on environmental and occupational health. Credit: WHO/Islamic Republic of Iran

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 in implementation of environmental and occupational health interventions during the COVID-19 epidemic in Islamic Republic of Iran;

reviewing country initiatives and research on environmental and occupational health;

and exploring areas requiring greater WHO technical support and potential avenues of cooperation and collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies, such as the International Labour Organization.

The mission was led by the Director-General of the Centre of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Jaffar Jandaghi, who was representing the Government during the visit to Amman to discuss environmental and occupational health, air quality, sand and dust storms, climate change, chemical hazards, health impact assessment, water and wastewater, and water, sanitation and hygiene, medical waste, and food and chemical safety. 

National technical officers from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare of the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the meeting virtually

Technical staff from CEHA presented the noted main topics of focus for potential joint action and discussed implementation of interventions in Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the Region. Peripheral meetings were also held with Jordan’s Ministry of Health and its WHO country office.