TEHRAN –According to an official with the Iranian Society of Pediatrics, the country has made significant progress in reducing child mortality, achieving the lowest mortality rate of infants in West Asia. 

"Infant mortality rate is one of the indicators for overall health of a country according to the World Health Organization,” Mehr news agency quoted Mohammad Zonouzi-Rad as saying.

He made the remarks on the occasion of the annual congress of the Iranian Society of Pediatrics.

Luckily, the country takes pride in its record of having the fewest infant mortality rate in the region which is even comparable to the European countries, Zonouzi-Rad added.

The global infant mortality is 11 deaths per 1,000 live births. While the indicator is higher than 11 in West Asia, infant mortality rate for Iran is 7.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. 

He went on to say that this remarkable achievement is the result of collaborative efforts;  training competent staff including physicians and nurses; and providing essential equipment and pharmaceuticals.

Also, the country has been successful in preventing  infectious diseases that are prevalent among infants and children in the past few decades.

"We have managed to eradicate some diseases that are still prevalent in neighboring countries, such as polio and measles,” the official stressed.

Currently, the main challenges ahead include emerging diseases and low-birth-weight children. To address these issues, a high-risk infants' clinic for newly born babies is planned to be established, he further said.

Regarding the implementation of the free treatment of children under seven years of age, he noted people not to be worried about the costs; their main concern is the child’s health.

In October 2023, a hospital for children, which is the most advanced one of its kind in the country, was officially inaugurated by the late President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran.

The hospital, named Hakim, comprises 19 specialized clinics, emergency medical services, surgery rooms, medical imaging, cardiography, a behavioral intensive care unit (BICU), and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) totally equipped with 266 beds.

The building has been designed according to the physical and mental needs of children. Green space and natural light, easy access, and welfare services for children and their companions are among the most important design features of the hospital.

It is also equipped with a biological water treatment plant, which makes it the first green hospital in the country.

MT/MG