TEHRAN (Iran News) The Iran–Italy webinar, focused on “underexplored opportunities in the health sector,” was organized through the joint efforts of the Tehran Chamber’s International Affairs and Trade Development Department, the Health Economy Commission, and the Syndicate of Iranian Pharmaceutical Industries. Supported by the Italian Embassy in Tehran and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the session created a platform to examine untapped capacities, challenges, and new pathways for collaboration between the two countries in a sector largely exempt from international sanctions.

Opening the event, Giuseppe Lamacchia, Director of the Italian Trade Agency’s Office in Iran, evaluated his organization’s experience in Tehran positively. He emphasized that pharmaceuticals and medical equipment are not included in major sanctions lists, creating favorable conditions for expanding bilateral cooperation. Lamacchia announced that preparations have begun for a formal and organized Italian pavilion at the IranPharma 2026 exhibition.

Ahmad Pourfallah, President of the Iran–Italy Chamber of Commerce, recalled the long history of cooperation between the two countries, noting that the chamber was established to promote bilateral trade and represents a broad range of small, medium, and large companies across industrial, agricultural, and service sectors.

Pourfallah identified the lack of cooperation in supplying spare parts, dispatching technicians, and difficulties in financial transactions as key barriers to trade expansion. He described the webinar as “a meaningful step” toward strengthening collaboration and supporting humanitarian principles.

Following him, Lorenzo Galanti, Director General of the Italian Trade Agency, praised the high level of Iranian participation and expressed hope that these interactions would lead to joint projects and concrete actions.

Pier Luigi D’Agata, Secretary General of the Italy–Iran Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that bilateral trade exceeded USD 500 million in 2024 and emphasized that the similar structures of the two chambers create strong foundations for expanding joint activities.

Sergio Longoni, Banking Attaché of Italy’s Central Bank at the Consulate in Istanbul, focused on financial and regulatory issues. He underscored that pharmaceuticals and health-related goods are not classified as sanctioned items under international law, meaning collaboration in this sector is legally feasible. However, he stressed the need for Italian companies to be fully aware of the risks associated with Iran’s FATF “red list” status.

Massimo Fracci, a trade finance expert, added that banks in both countries must find mechanisms to ensure transparent payment flows to enable a revival of cooperation similar to previous years.

Mohammad Abdezadeh, Chair of the Health Economy Commission of the Tehran Chamber and President of the Pharmaceutical Industries Syndicate, presented an overview of Iran’s pharmaceutical sector. He stated that Iran is ready to cooperate with Italian companies in joint production, technology transfer, product registration, and market development.

He noted that the Iranian market continues to show strong demand for European products and that the Iranian Food and Drug Administration has established clear pathways to facilitate international collaborations.

Abolfath Sanei, Vice Chair of the Health Economy Commission, highlighted the gap between Iran’s current number of hospital beds and global standards, describing this need as a major potential area for cooperation.

He stated that Iran’s medical equipment market includes about USD 2 billion in equipment sales and approximately USD 500 million in modernization and advanced technologies annually—figures that represent significant opportunities for Italian investors.

In the final section of the meeting, Dr. Ahmad Atash-Hoosh outlined Iran’s regulatory processes for registering pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. He emphasized that despite sanctions, European companies have maintained a consistent presence in Iran’s health market over the years. According to him, Iran’s import infrastructure, distribution networks, and legal frameworks are fully prepared for new partnerships.

Representatives from Italian health-sector associations then presented reports on Italy’s pharmaceutical and dental industries and reaffirmed the readiness of Italian companies to expand cooperation with Iran.

The post Italian Companies Express Readiness to Expand Cooperation With Iran’s Health Sector appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Referring to the achievements and progress made after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in various fields, especially in the field of health, he said: “One of the biggest achievements of the country after the Islamic Revolution is related to health.

Without a doubt, before the Revolution, the country was totally dependent in this field in such a way that we had to get help from them even in the smallest health and treatment issues,” IRNA quoted Einollahi as saying.

“But today, in many areas, we have achieved significant progress so that the country is way ahead of many countries.”

“Not only do we provide all kinds of treatment services inside the country with good quality, but we also see the presence of patients from other countries in Iran for treatment.”

Currently, some 40 percent of advanced medical equipment is produced inside the country with the help of knowledge-based companies, he highlighted.

In February, deputy health minister Saeed Karimi said improvements have been made in the field of life expectancy, and the mortality rate of pregnant mothers, children, and infants has declined.

“In Iran, treatment costs are not very high, and although the quality of the services we provide is high, the costs are not very high.”

“One of our plans is to make the services free once the family physician plan is finalized.”

In the field of medical tourism, conditions are very good due to the trust that neighboring countries have in the Iranian health sector, he said.

“Currently, 220 hospitals in the country have the necessary infrastructure to accept medical tourists. However, the tourist who comes should be provided with suitable accommodation, convenient transportation, and amenities.”

According to the latest statistics of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, 1,452 scientific journals are being published in the country.

Out of all the mentioned journals, 289 are indexed in the Scopus database and 67 journals are indexed in the Web of Science database, IRNA reported.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has said that the West exerted pressures on Iran in order to isolate it but their efforts in this regard backfired.

The post Health sector holds 40% share of scientific articles appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The Nicaraguan envoy made the remarks in a meeting with Mohammad Hossein Nicknam, the deputy health minister for international affairs.

Referring to a comprehensive document signed by foreign ministers of the two countries in December 2022 to enhance cooperation, he termed bilateral relations very positive and important.

The ambassador announced that four ministers of the Nicaraguan cabinet will travel to Iran, aiming to become familiar with medical industries and sign agreements in the health sector.

Nicknam, for his part, said Iran is ready to provide Nicaragua with its experiences regarding the production of medicine and medical equipment.

On the sidelines of the 77th General Assembly of the UN, Colindres and Amir Abdollahian had a meeting in September in New York.

In a phone call with Daniel Ortega in September 2021, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stressed the importance of tight coordination with Nicaragua and other Latin American governments on the international scene in order to thwart U.S. sanctions against independent nations.

In order to neutralize American sanctions and make it expensive for the U.S. administration to take action against independent states and nations, notably Iran and Nicaragua, close collaboration between the two countries on international scenes is essential, according to the Iranian president.

In August 2022, the Nicaraguan ambassador met Pirhossein Kolivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), discussing areas of cooperation.

Measures taken by the IRCS are exemplary in the region and the world, Lenin said, referring to IRCS’s great achievements in recent months.

He announced interest in using the experiences of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Fortunately, there are good relations between the two countries, and the cooperation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent of the two countries can be a turning point, he explained.

Committees have been formed between Iran and Nicaragua to enhance cooperation, he noted, adding, “The IRCS’s high capacities are clearly evident and we are interested in using the medical equipment made by the IRCS due to their high quality.”

The Iranian Polyclinic in Nicaragua has provided valuable services to people, which shows the empathy between the two nations, and today the people of Iran and Nicaragua have good and brotherly relations with each other, which can be expanded, he emphasized.

Kolivand for his part said that the IRCS can also cooperate with the Nicaraguan Red Cross in the fields of medical equipment, textiles, pharmaceutical production, and food packages.

In June 2022, Nicaragua received 200,000 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 from Iran.

“Thank God, COVIRAN vaccines arrive from the Islamic Republic of Iran this afternoon. We are deeply grateful to continue vaccinating 200,000 people and protecting ourselves,” Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo said.

Iran has one of the strongest health systems in the region and this opportunity should be used optimally in the field of health diplomacy, Health Minister Bahram Einoullahi has said.

In June 2021, Ahmed al-Mandhari, the World Health Organization director for Eastern Mediterranean Region, said the Islamic Republic of Iran is a role model for primary health care.

For the past four decades, its PHC network has aimed to ensure that people have timely access to affordable, accessible, and acceptable essential health services, he explained.

The post Nicaragua plans to sign agreements with Iran in health sector appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Avicenna, born 980 CE in a village near Bukhara, then capital of the Iranian Samanid Empire, was a great Iranian philosopher, physician, and scientist who had some 450 books on a wide range of issues, among them medicine and philosophy. As a result of efforts by such pioneers as Avicenna, Iran is now among the 12 countries with advanced technology and knowledge in medicine and can serve as a health tourism center.

He was a polymath regarded both in the West and East as one of the most significant thinkers and writers of the Islamic Golden Age.

Iran honors top doctors and physicians who have made great contributions to the country’s health system on National Doctors Day, celebrated annually on August 23.

Despite their hard work, Iranian doctors have been struggling with the coronavirus for 552 days.

Since March 25, 2020, it is reported that 300 healthcare workers in the country have lost their lives due to the coronavirus infection, according to Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi, head of the Medical Council of Iran.

According to the statistics, 160 doctors were among those 300 medical staff who have lost their lives fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

The healthcare workers who lost their lives in the fight against coronavirus are called martyrs of health.

Although, physicians and doctors have been recognized for their selfless devotion and efforts to public health. Working around the clock, fighting at the frontline against the pandemic, putting their lives in danger made us salute and admire these exceptional caregivers.

The sacrifices made by the medical staff to treat the coronavirus patients are indescribable, when all their relatives were forced to leave them, the medical community stood still that many of them even lost their lives.

Health sector growth

After the Islamic Revolution (1979), many advances have been made in the health sector, namely, increased medical facilities, increased life expectancy and reduced infant and maternal mortality, growth of medical universities, and upgraded medical equipment.

Before the Islamic Revolution, there were about 558 medical institutions with 57,927 beds in the country, which was insufficient in comparison to the country’s population.

Meanwhile, after the fourth decade of the Islamic Revolution, primary health care (PHC) has reached a coverage of 93 percent for the urban population and over 97 percent for the rural residents. At the same time, the establishment of the health care network system as a global model has taken place with more than 31,400 Health Houses and 7,400 healthcare centers.

Moreover, the distribution of hospitals in different provinces and regions demonstrates the observance of health justice in all parts of the country.

Before the Revolution, there were only a limited number of physicians for the entire population of 36 million in Iran, so all the cities of the country and the country’s villages were suffering from the lack of doctors and specialists in 1,500 rural health centers.

The number of physicians in the country, including general practitioners and specialists in various fields, amounted to about 14,000, while a significant number of them were foreign physicians. So, there were still about 9.3 physicians per 10,000 people.

According to the World Bank, the physician-to-population ratio improved six-fold in the post-revolutionary period.

Also the specialized physicians were 7000 in 1979 who reached up to 72,792 in 2017, and it is noteworthy to say that people from many countries travel to Iran to receive treatment from Iranian physicians.

Before the Islamic Revolution, four medical faculties were established in universities, but now there are about 59 medical universities across the country.

The number of medical students increased from 600 to 3,000 a year, after the Revolution.

Before 1979, there were about 50 manufacturing companies in the field of medical equipment across Iran, all of which imported raw materials from abroad and assembled them inside Iran. These companies were only able to supply 3 percent of the domestic needs.

According to the statistics in 2017, medical equipment companies reached 500, which supplied over 80 percent of hospitals’ needs across the country, producing more than 8,000 types of medical equipment and supplying them to domestic and foreign markets.

Health sector’s share in national budget

Some 15 percent of the national budget for the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 20) has been allocated to the health sector, deputy health minister Kamel Taqavinejad has said in April.

The national budget bill has proposed 1.5 quadrillion rials (around $35 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) for the healthcare system, a more than twofold increase compared to the last year’s budget of 700 trillion rials (nearly $16 billion).

Last year, despite all the constraints on funding, was a successful year for the Ministry of Health and the universities. This year, with the efforts made to increase the budget this year, good capacity has been predicted for medical universities, Taqavinejad said.

The health system accounts for approximately 15 percent of the total public budget. Over 90 percent of the health system’s budget is provided from government and public resources and 10 percent from private resources, which are gained from the health system and hospitals, he explained.

The post National Doctors Day: let’s appreciate health advocates appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Referring to the opening of more than 1,400 health projects by the end of May across the country, Namaki said that the most important of these projects include the establishment of a pediatric oncology department, the establishment of an endosonography department, the increase of ICU beds, and CT scans, the development of emergency departments in hospitals, and the construction of comprehensive rural health centers.

Health sector growth in 40 years

After the Islamic Revolution (1979), many advances have been made in the health sector, namely, increased medical facilities, increased life expectancy and reduced infant and maternal mortality, growth of medical universities, and upgraded medical equipment.

Before the Islamic Revolution, there were about 558 medical institutions with 57,927 beds in the country, which was insufficient in comparison to the country’s population.

Meanwhile, after the fourth decades of the Islamic Revolution, primary health care (PHC) has reached a coverage of 93 percent for the urban population and over 97 percent for the rural residents. At the same time, the establishment of the health care network system as a global model has taken place with more than 31,400 Health Houses and 7,400 healthcare centers.

Before the Revolution, there were only a limited number of physicians for the entire population of 36 million in Iran, so all the cities of the country and the country’s villages were suffering from the lack of doctors and specialists in 1,500 rural health centers.

The number of physicians in the country, including general practitioners and specialists in various fields, amounted to about 14,000, while a significant number of whom were foreign physicians. So, there were still about 9.3 physicians per 10,000 people.

Before the Islamic Revolution, four medical faculties were established in universities, but now there are about 59 medical universities across the country.

Before 1979, there were about 50 manufacturing companies in the field of medical equipment across Iran, all of which imported raw materials from abroad and assembled them inside Iran. These companies were only able to supply 3 percent of the domestic needs.

According to the statistics in 2017, medical equipment companies reached 500, which supplied over 80 percent of hospitals’ needs across the country, producing more than 8,000 types of medical equipment and supplying them to domestic and foreign markets.

The post Health projects worth $12.6m inaugurated appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Almost a third (32.5%) of UK surgeons say they do not have access to enough masks, gowns and other clothing to keep them safe, a new survey reveals.

The widespread lack of PPE for frontline staff is “a disgrace”, according to the Royal College of Surgeons of England, which collated the views of 1,978 surgeons and surgical trainees.

“There are often young doctors and nurses, many with kids at home, putting themselves in challenging situations without proper PPE. It’s not acceptable, morally or ethically, that people should put their lives at risk to do their job unless they have adequate PPE,” Sue Hill, the college’s vice-president, told the Observer, the Guardian reported.

The findings come amid a growing row after health secretary Matt Hancock sparked controversy by urging NHS staff not to use any more PPE than is clinically justified. The Royal College of Nursing and the British Medical Association criticized his remarks.

Hill was responding to the college’s survey, which also found:

Up to 70% of surgeons in some parts of the UK have seen shortages of PPE in their hospital in the last month;

Across the UK 41% of surgeons believe there is enough PPE where they work, but 39% of those in Scotland and 36% in the north-west of England report a shortage;

Half of the surgeons doubt they will be able to get a test to tell them if they have COVID-19.

Hill, a vascular surgeon in Wales, said Hancock’s pledge that millions of pieces of PPE are on order mean little to NHS staff, given the heavy usage COVID-19 involves. “When I’m operating I put on a hat, visor, proper ventilating mask, two pairs of gloves and a full-length surgical gown – six pieces of PPE. So does my assistant, two scrub nurses and two anesthetists. That’s 36 pieces of PPE for just one operation.”

One of the surgeons said the lack of masks was scandalous. They and their colleagues were “spoken to” by hospital managers for wearing masks and gloves when visiting patients onwards, even though one coronavirus carrier infected at least six members of staff. Another said: “We’ve been sent to war but with no protective armor.”

Overall, 72% of surgeons believe the UK will not be able to end the three-week-long lockdown until the general public can get tested for COVID-19.

The post UK: Third of Surgeons Lacks Enough Protective Kit appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Spokesperson for the Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters Kianoush Jahanpour said on Sunday that Iran has developed COVID-19 rapid test kits based on antibody detection, adding that the kits will hit the market soon.

The post Health Ministry: Iran produces COVID-19 rapid test kit appeared first on Iran News Daily.