TEHRAN –Volunteer physicians will be sent to provide free health and pharmaceutical services to people in deprived areas, an official with the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has said.

The program will be implemented on the occasion of World Volunteer Day, commonly known as IVD, which is celebrated on December 5 every year.

It's a day where volunteers are acknowledged and the spirit of volunteerism is promoted at the local, national, and international levels.

“Volunteer physicians will be sent to deprived areas from Ilam, Kermanshah, Yazd, Bushehr, Markazi, West Azarbaijan, and Kerman provinces to serve the people in these areas,” Vahid Salimi said.

They will provide free health and pharmaceutical services, including visiting patients, dental and midwifery services, and traditional medicine and acupuncture consultation.

They will also check people’s health, blood pressure, height, and weight.

Moreover, oral and dental health care will be taught to the students of the villages.

The main objective of dispatching volunteers is to improve the health of the villagers due to the unavailability of specialist doctors in these areas and reduce medical expenses.

World Volunteer Day is an opportunity to encourage and support the services of volunteers who improve the health of the people, provide relief, and help patients by improving the health literacy of society in various fields.

Rural development

Villagers and nomads play a vital role in the political, economic, and social developments of Iran.

Despite their low population, they have a great contribution to all-out national development.

Although oil, industry, and service sectors hold a significant share of the national economy, the rural and nomadic economy is considered an inexhaustible source for the nation, compared to exhaustible natural resources.

Living far from pollution and current problems of cities and being less dependent on oil resources, they play a critical role in sustainable development.

Villagers and nomads take the lead in providing food, food security, and healthy food production.

They have a major role in the tourism and handicraft industry and they are sources of many cultures and traditions in the country playing an important role in ensuring the country's security, especially in borders and remote areas.

In 2022, the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam and the Ministry of Health signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to increase food security in deprived areas of the country, IRINN reported.

Under the MOU, a plan called “health plus” would be implemented by the Ministry of Health, the Nutrition Institute, the Barekat pharmaceutical group, and the Khordad 15th Foundation to promote the health and nutritional safety of children, infants, and pregnant mothers.

Stressing that the plan focuses on low-income areas and children aged 5 or younger, he stated that nutritional supplements for children, infants, and pregnant mothers are provided for the purpose of children’s intellectual development.

World Volunteer Day

The day started as an international observance mandated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985.

If everyone volunteered, the world would be a better place.  Imagine more than eight billion of us volunteering. Limitless possibilities for sustainable development – food and education for everyone, a clean environment and good health, inclusive and peaceful societies, and more.

Volunteerism is an enormous renewable resource for social, economic, and environmental problem-solving throughout the world.

As the world faces mounting challenges, volunteers are often the first to help. Volunteers are at the fore in crises and emergencies, often in very testing and dire situations.

 It is also viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, share their values, and promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities, and the private sector.

Apart from mobilizing thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program contributes to peace and development by advocating for the recognition of volunteers and working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming.

MT/MG