TEHRAN – Following Iran’s policy of expanding health centers, Iraq has embarked on building such centers to provide basic medical services to people, Hani Musa Badr al-Aqabi, the Iraqi deputy health minister, has said.

He made the remarks in a meeting with Health Minister Bahram Einollahi in Tehran on the sidelines of the first International Family Health Congress, which was held on March 5-6.

“Public health and family health are the main concerns of the Health Ministry of Iraq, and we will use Iran's experiences in this field,” IRNA quoted Al-Aqabi as saying.

While announcing readiness for joint production of medicine and medical equipment, he said many Iraqi doctors and people know Iranian medicines well and take them for treatment.

“We have signed memorandums of understanding with the ministry of health of Iran on pharmaceutical production, health tourism, and technology transfer. Soon we will observe the valuable achievements in these fields,” Al-Aqabi noted.

Einollahi, for his part, highlighted the importance of the expansion of cooperation in health tourism, medicine, medical equipment, and health care as well.

“We are ready to share our experiences in the field of health, including public health coverage, with the Iraqi Ministry of Health,” he added.

The relations between the two countries have improved, especially in the field of health including medicine, and medical equipment.

“Iran is ready for the joint production of medicine and medical equipment, as well as the export of joint pharmaceutical products to other countries.

Also, we are ready to implement a joint program in the field of family health with the Iraqi Health Ministry and introduce the program to the world,” Einollahi further noted.

“Soon the first health attaché will be dispatched to Iraq, and it will help further improve health ties between the two countries.”

Iraq seeking to boost health co-op with Iran

On January 19, the Iraqi cultural and academic advisor in Tehran called for the expansion of health and medical cooperation with Iran.

“We are very pleased that memorandums of understanding in the field of health and higher education have been signed between Iran’s Ministry of Health and Iraq’s ministries of health and higher education,” Yasser Abdulzahra, said.

He made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran with Health Minister Bahram Einollahi.

“While adhering to these agreements, we want to expand cooperation between Iran and Iraq in all areas,” the Iraqi official stressed.

He went on to say that over 80,000 Iraqi students are studying in Iran, and more than 40 Iraqi chancellors participated in the Science Week conference held in Mashhad in October 2023, which signifies the close academic relations between Iran and Iraq. “We hope to be able to implement the road map prepared by the Ministry of Health of Iran.”

Einollahi for his part said that cooperation between Iran and Iraq in the field of health should be unlimited.

“We emphasize these interactions to extend and include Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, the Ministry of Health website quoted Einollahi as saying.

He went on to say that Iran is ready to cooperate with Iraq at all levels including academic training or short-term training courses and hopes that cooperation will lead to meeting the needs of the health sector in Iraq including specialist, subspecialist, and fellowship.

MT/MG