Regional states can draw on Iran’s experience in measures taken in rural and urban healthcare,” said Peter Slama, UNICEF director for Middle East and North Africa, in a meeting with Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi on Sunday to discuss health issues and projects in Iran.
Slama said this is his first visit to Tehran and he is interested in using Iran’s know-how in executing UNICEF plans in other countries with similar conditions.
He thanked Hashemi for his ministry’s efforts in healthcare projects and in particular, implementing the Health Reform Plan, Borna News Agency reported.
UNICEF Representative in Iran Ezio Gianni Murzi, was also present.
Referring to Iran’s achievements, Hashemi said more than 30,000 health clinics in rural regions are providing medical, immunization and consultancy services to over 30 million rural residents, ISNA reported.
He also praised cooperation by the World Health Organization and other countries that have contributed to national achievements by sharing their expertise with Iran, but said, “Iran still is a long way from the desirable state of healthcare provision.”
“We hope to extend medical and health services to a suburban population of roughly 10 million over the next six months and have an efficient health system in place in the next 10-15 years,” he said, calling on the UN agency to assist in promoting healthcare for children and vulnerable groups as well as local production of certain vaccines like rotavirus and intravenous vaccine for polio.
Slama said UNICEF is ready to support Iran in all its health and medical projects, especially in infant care, nutrition, and mother and child health.
He suggested south-south cooperation to screen children’s health with Iran as the core center to share its resources, technology, and knowledge in the region. Further bilateral cooperation can be worked out in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals, he concluded.
