TEHRAN – The health ministry, in collaboration with the Welfare Organization, is conducting health screening tests for women heads of households nationwide.

The tests include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers that are common among women, such as breast, cervical, and colon cancers, IRNA quoted Maryam Khak-Rangin, an official with the Welfare Organization, as saying.

The initiative commenced in the past Iranian year (March 2024 – March 2025) to detect diseases early and prevent them among the target group, comprising 1,300 women heads of households.

In the first half of the current Iranian year, which started on March 21, the initiative focused on boosting intersectoral coordination, and in the second half, it is being implemented nationwide.

So far, the Welfare Organization has provided training courses on the importance of health screening for some 40,000 women heads of household across the country, and helped them become familiar with health services that are inexpensive or even free of charge.

The women have been checked up, and some 22,000 have been referred to health centers, of which 3,000 required further tests and treatment. The Welfare Organization is providing a health file for these individuals.

The results have shown that the prevalence of some diseases, like cancers, is higher among women heads of household than other groups, which is a common issue in many countries, particularly among those that are among the lower strata of society due to a lack of access to screening programs for early detection of illnesses.

Based on the seventh National Development Plan (2023-2027), the hospitalization of women heads of household will be free of charge in state hospitals, and they can benefit from the Rare Disease Foundation, as well. However, the Welfare Organization’s initiative will support those who are members of the Rare Disease Foundation.

According to Salamat Health Insurance Organization, some 7,600 women heads of household with hard-to-treat diseases are identified who have challenges paying for services such as radiotherapy, mammography, and chemotherapy despite free hospitalization.

MT/MG