The number of genetic counseling centers under the ‘Each Province, One City’ scheme is set to increase in the next Iranian year (begins March 20), said Majid Rezazadeh, head of the Development and Prevention Center at the State Welfare Organization. “Currently there are 250 centers across Iran, 40 of which are state-run and the rest set up by the private sector,” he told Mehr News Agency. About 2,200 physicians have been trained to offer specialized services at the centers, he added. Preventing congenital defects at birth is one of the main areas of focus for the SWO, and it has been establishing genetic counseling centers for years to help address the problem.
