TEHRAN – Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Benedetta Allegranzi, has paid a visit to Iran, conducting a technical mission to strengthen communicable disease control, particularly in Tehran, Tabriz, in the northwest of the country, and Bandar Abbas in the south.

Accompanied by experts from the WHO Iran Country Office and the Centre for Communicable Diseases Control (CCDC) of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME),  Allegranzi visited the three key sites from November 12 to 19.

The mission focused on: ensuring procurement and availability of essential health commodities, including drugs and vaccines; strengthening responses to malaria and dengue outbreaks; addressing respiratory diseases and tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant strains, particularly among migrant populations; advancing the One Health approach, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and infection prevention and control (IPC); advancing hepatitis elimination efforts, and bolstering health systems through enhanced laboratory capacity and surveillance for diseases like HIV, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), respiratory pathogens and vector-borne diseases (VBDs).

Engagements in Tehran

In Tehran,  Allegranzi discussed IPC and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) with Deputy Minister for Clinical Affairs  Sajjad Razavi. Discussions during  Allegranzi’s meeting with Deputy Minister for Public Health Alireza Raeisi focused on broader public health priorities.

 Allegranzi visited several facilities, including the National Reference Laboratory, the Pasteur Institute of Iran, and the Valfajr HIV-VH Clinic, and participated in and delivered closing remarks at a 5-day capacity-building workshop for Iran’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG).

Organized by WHO in collaboration with MoHME and supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the workshop aimed to strengthen NITAG’s evidence-based approach in alignment with the Immunization Agenda 2030 and the regional framework for immunization.

A meeting with CCDC program managers covered vector-borne diseases (VBDs), the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), TB and respiratory diseases, HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), water- and foodborne diseases, AMR, surveillance systems, and fostering dialogue on integrated disease management.

Field visits in Bandar Abbas

The 2-day mission to Bandar Abbas focused on dengue fever response and broader communicable disease control. Dr Allegranzi engaged in meetings and field assessments, visiting Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Touhid Comprehensive Urban Health Centre, and the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (HUMS) Reference Laboratory.

Field visits took in migrant health services and potential mosquito breeding sites, allowing the mission to observe capacities in patient management, infection control, respiratory disease surveillance, and diagnostic processes for VBDs, TB, and other communicable diseases.

Mission to Tabriz

A one-day visit to Tabriz focused on local capacities in communicable disease prevention, primary health care services, health care-associated infection management, immunization, AMR and zoonotic diseases.

Mardani Azar Children’s Hospital, Cheshmandaz Health Centre, the Rabies Prevention and Control Centre and the Comprehensive Health Laboratory of Tabriz were among the facilities visited by Allegranzi.

The mission’s observations and discussions underscored the need for enhanced surveillance, rational antibiotic use, intersectoral collaboration to combat NTDs like rabies, and strengthened WHO support for provincial health initiatives.

Concluding her mission, Allegranzi presented a summary report to Iran’s CCDC, praising the country’s workforce, resilient health infrastructure, successful national programs in immunization and TB control, specialized laboratory capabilities, and service provision for migrant and refugee populations.

She offered strategic recommendations for upgrading surveillance systems; advancing multi-disease elimination for hepatitis C and mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, and schistosomiasis; addressing undiagnosed HIV cases through self-testing and other innovative people-centered services; bolstering One Health and AMR programs and improving IPC policies and practices; enhancing NITAG’s role as an independent entity and promoting regional knowledge exchange.

CCDC Director  Ghobad Moradi expressed gratitude for WHO’s technical support, noting that the recommendations provide a roadmap for future collaborations.

WHO is committed to supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran in enhancing its communicable disease program, surveillance, and response to outbreaks, and fostering international partnerships for a healthier future.

Iran a regional leader in health system: WHO official

In May, the WHO director for the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO)  said Iran is a leading country in expanding its healthcare system and providing access to universal health coverage.

Lauding the country’s achievements in recent years, Hanan Balkhi said expanding primary health care services, increasing access to health coverage in rural areas, maintaining high vaccination rates, and reducing maternal and newborn mortality, Iran has managed to become a successful role model in the region, the health ministry’s website reported.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA).

The country’s commitment to providing equal health services to millions of refugees makes its services even more commendable.

WHO EMRO is working closely with the Iranian regulatory institutions to achieve regulatory maturity level 3 in the pharmaceutical regulatory system to pave the way for broader exports of Iranian health-oriented products to global markets; it will also contribute to promoting global health security, Balkhi added.

In October 2024, Balkhi said WHO EMRO is interested in expanding cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with Alireza Raeisi, the Iranian deputy health minister, and Mohammad-Hossein Niknam, the deputy health minister for international affairs, on the sidelines of the Seventy-first session of the WHO EMRO.

A delegation led by Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi participated in the seventy-first session of the WHO EMRO, which was held in Doha, Qatar, from October 14 to 17.

“During my short visit to Iran a few months ago, I became familiar with the capabilities of Iran in the health sector; Iran is a role model in health in the region,” Balkhi noted.

“Utilizing full potentials available in the [regional] countries is essential for us, and we will not hesitate to support the implementation of health programs,” the official noted.

MT/MG