TEHRAN – More than 60 infertility treatment medicines are covered by national health insurance, Reza Saeedi, the CEO of Iran Health Insurance Organization, has said.

“63 types of drugs, 56 types of tests, and eight types of procedures related to imaging for the treatment of infertility are covered by health insurance with the government tariff,” he added, IRNA reported.

About 130 infertility treatment centers are parties to the contract with the Organization. Last year (March 2022-March 2023) nearly 50,000 people received infertility treatment services in these centers, he pointed out.

About four million infertile couples live in the country and need treatment services. Almost 90 percent of infertility treatment costs are paid by insurance, Saeedi noted.

Last year, approximately 7.7 trillion rials (about $15.5 million) were spent on outpatient health insurance services, and nearly 167,000 people received maternity expenses from health insurance, he concluded.

The Ministry of Health has formed a comprehensive network for providing fertility services at three levels all over the country.

For infertility treatment patients go to level-one centers and are referred to levels two and three if they need specialized treatments, deputy health minister Saeed Karimi said.

Previously, there were no level-two centers for infertility treatment services in the country, ISNA quoted Karimi as saying.

“Health minister has announced that 64 level-two infertility treatment centers should be set up in the country by next year. There are currently 16 level-two centers in the country.”

Some 85 percent of infertility cases can be treated in level-two infertility treatment centers, he said, adding that 103 level-three infertility treatment centers are currently active in the country.

About 90 percent of hospitalization costs and 70 percent of outpatient costs for infertility treatment services are covered by insurance, while the services had not been covered by insurance in the past, he concluded.

President Ebrahim Raisi has urged all responsible bodies and organizations to adopt national policies in line with the goal of population growth.

All the institutions and organizations of the country are obliged to prepare their plans and programs within the framework of the population growth policy and follow up on their implementation seriously, he said, IRIB reported.

He referred to "population" as one of the important and key points in the 7th national development plan (2021-2026).

The president considered promoting the culture of marriage and reducing divorce and helping to solve the problem of infertility as some of the effective factors in increasing the population, which should be the priority of attention and action of all institutions.

In line with the "Law on Family and Youth Support", Iran has introduced several plans, including the facilitation of housing, low-interest loans, and longer maternity leave.

The Guardian Council approved the law on November 17, 2021, to implement a population growth and family support plan for 7 years to change the declining trend of childbearing.

The plan stipulates health insurance for infertile couples, providing services and facilities to working women, providing health and nutrition support packages to mothers and children, educational opportunities for student mothers, providing livelihood support to families, and ongoing medical services to pregnant women.

Iran’s universal public health insurance scheme, known as Salamat Health Insurance, covers hospitalization, para-clinical and outpatient services, including doctor’s visits, radiology, lab tests, and medication costs at any public hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

Ricardo León-Bórquez, the president of the World Federation of Medical Education, has praised Iran for progress in the health sector, saying that the country’s achievements are amazing.

Iran has paid much attention to the importance of medical education and can be one of the key members of the World Federation of Medical Education in the accreditation process, he added.

He made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran with Health Minister Bahram Einollahi, noting that the accreditation process of medical education, which was started by WFME in Iran in 2019, has progressed very well and Iran is moving in the right direction in this field.

In October 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Iran Jaffar Hussain, said that Iran's health system can be a model for other countries in the region, especially in the field of health and the use of valuable forces such as healthcare providers.

The national budget bill for the current Iranian calendar year 1402, which started on March 21, has increased the health sector’s budget by 29 percent compared to the current year’s budget.

Syed Jaffar Hussain, the World Health Organization Representative and Head of Mission in Iran has appreciated the country for its efforts to enhance health security in the region.

In October 2021, Jaffar Hussain said that Iran's health system can be a model for other countries in the region, especially in the field of health and the use of valuable forces such as healthcare providers.

MG