The Health Ministry has devised a comprehensive cancer control program for women and a general health program for men under the Health Reform Plan launched in May 2014.
“Each program is currently being piloted in five regions across the country,” said Muhammad Esmael Motlaq, head of the ministry’s Population and Family Health Office.
Since the launching of health reforms, existing programs and packages for the middle-age groups were reviewed and revised. The revisions included promoting healthy lifestyles and controlling women’s cancers and general health, in particular menopausal health. A comprehensive women’s cancer control and general health program was devised.
The general health program for men is being piloted in five provincial counties of Kordkuy in Golestan, Sabzevar in Khorasan Razavi, Salmas in West Azarbaijan, Bagh-e Malek in Khuzestan Province, and Qom.
The women’s program is piloted in Asadabad in Hamadan, Semnan in Semnan Province, Chalus in Mazandaran, Khorramdareh in Zanjan, and Qazvin in Qazvin Province.
Additionally, higher health standards, new population strategies, the Ira PEN (Iran’s Package of Essential NCD Interventions) and adopting the global resolutions on curbing preventable deaths due to Non-Communicable Diseases, focusing on the mental and psychological aspects of the previous integrated health programs for the middle-aged, and studying social challenges among the group, were other focal points during the revisions as per the reform plan.
Multilateral Approach
It should be recalled that in 2006, a Comprehensive National Cancer Control Program (CNCCP) was designed and approved by the Nutrition and Health Department of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Iran; the Ministry of Health approved the program in January 2007.
Under the plan, a multi-dimensional approach to cancer, including prevention, early diagnosis, effective treatment, and palliative care, and providing appropriate care for cancer patients, were envisaged.
Six strategies were selected for implementing the program: establishing the infrastructure, political and financial support for planning and execution, using data and research in the field of cancer to regularly update the program, and establishing joint cooperation with other ministries and public institutions for planning and executing the program.
The target population in this program, however, was not limited to any particular class, age, sex and ethnic groups.
Under the two new gender-specific programs, workshops on nutritional facts for the middle-age groups, why and how to quit smoking and issues related to menopause, including pap smear tests and mammography for women, have been conducted by the universities involved in the program.
