Considering the necessity of integrating traditional medicine services in the health system and covering at least three services by the end of the year, this important issue has been seriously placed on the agenda of the Ministry of Health, Nafiseh Hosseini Yekta, the director of the health ministry’s Persian medicine office, said.

Currently, visiting traditional medicine specialists and a limited number of traditional medicines are covered by insurance, she added, IRNA reported.

“Also, insurance coverage of lifestyle-related packages is one of the other things that we follow,” the official highlighted.

Iran ranks fourth worldwide in the production of science in the field of traditional medicine, and the remarkable achievement will improve in the coming years, Hosseini Yekta noted.

“Over 17,000 books have so far been published about Persian traditional medicine, which has been recognized by the World Health Organization.”

Iranian traditional medicine strongly focuses on prioritizing health maintenance and disease prevention over treatment.

It is one of the most ancient forms of traditional medicine. It is grounded in the concept of four senses of humor: phlegm (Balgham), blood (Dam), yellow bile (Safra’), and black bile (Sauda’). The concept of the four senses of humor is based on the teachings of Rhazes and Avicenna in an elaborate medical system.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran’s share of about 8,000 species which is more than the whole of species found in Europe.

The per capita consumption of medicinal plants in Iran is about one kilogram of dried plants, in other words, 83,000 tons of medicinal plants worth 1.2 trillion rials (around $4 million) are consumed in the country, while in Europe this amount is 900 grams and in the United States is 2.5 kilograms.

Iran Health Insurance Organization, together with the Ministry of Health, provided important and significant services in different sectors during the past year (March 2022-March 2023).

Providing free insurance for low-income families, paying the medical expenses of infertile couples, providing services to the disabled, supporting patients with rare diseases, and providing services to foreign nationals have been done in the past year, IRNA reported.

The government has adopted policies to identify uninsured people. In this regard, the Health Insurance Organization in cooperation and interaction with the Social Security Organization was assigned to identify uninsured people, who are often from the vulnerable groups of society.

Accordingly, some 90 percent of hospitalization costs and around 70 percent of outpatient treatment costs are covered by insurance.

In this regard, by allocating 50 trillion rials (about $100 million), 107 rare diseases are covered by the health insurance fund, and with the cooperation of universities, a lion’s share of treatment costs are paid by the government.

So far, more than 31 rare and special diseases, including high blood pressure, MS, type 2 diabetes, hemodialysis, thalassemia, kidney transplant, hemophilia, diabetic retinopathy, type 1 diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and autism, have been identified in the system of the Health Insurance Organization.

Articles on traditional medicine

From 2006 to 2021, the publication of Iranian articles in the field of traditional medicine has increased by about ten times, according to data released by the SCImago Journal of Traditional Medicines.

Accordingly, Iran is fourth in the world after China, India, and the U.S., IRNA reported.

The number of articles published by the country has increased from 59 in 2006 to more than 500 in 2021.

By providing the structure in the Ministry of Health, and the establishment of traditional medicine colleges in 2006, the number of articles in the field of traditional medicine increased by about 10 times in 15 years.

The Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) put the share of Iranian articles in the field of medicinal plants and herbal medicine in the world at 5.9 percent.

A plan for the integration of Iranian traditional medicine into the health network is supposed to be implemented in the first phase in 14 faculties and universities of Shahid Beheshti Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz, Kerman, Yazd, Kashan, Babol, Golestan, Mazandaran, Hamedan, Qom, Fasa, and Isfahan.

In case of successful implementation, other universities in the country will also be encouraged to launch the plan, she said, adding, in the next phases, the integration plan will be implemented at higher levels and in the field of treatment.

Hossein Farshidi, the deputy health minister, has said that one of the shortcomings of the country’s health network system, which has been emphasized a lot in the national development plans, is benefiting from thousands of years of experience in Persian traditional medicine.

“We all must join hands to improve Persian traditional medicine and integrate it into the country’s health network system.”

He went on to note that if primary healthcare is not paid the necessary attention as the basis of all health services, we may not be able to control the heavy burden of chronic diseases in 50 years.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN Chairman of the Central Insurance of Iran Dr. Gholamreza Soleimani says Iran’s insurance industry has performed very successfully despite sanctions and it has now appropriate insurance coverages for all major risks.

The chairman of the Central Insurance Company and the policy-making board of insurance industry of the country met Majlis Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Sunday.

During the meeting, Mr. Qalibaf expressed his satisfaction over the performance of insurance industry regarding the economic growth and observing social responsibilities. He added that the cooperation between Majlis’s related committees with insurance industry is an undeniable necessity and by launching a workgroup, all ways for growth of insurance industry will be reviewed and it will pursue seriously amending the laws or legislating new ones.

Meanwhile Mr. Soleimani, for his part, said that insurance industry in the nick of times like in the unfair sanctions, Coronavirus crisis, quakes and recent floods have proved itself, and with the support of the legislative body and approving important insurance laws, the current trend will continue with more speed.

He added that establishment of national risk management was an important development for balancing the national economy and by its launch, all activists in businesses, production, services and imports and exports can continue their activities peacefully.

Soleimani further said the authority of insurance industry has been one of the achievements of the sanctions, noting that fortunately, insurance industry has performed very well despite sanctions and it currently has appropriate coverages for all big risks.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Secretary of Iran’s High Council of Free and Special Economic Zones Morteza Bank during meeting with the board of directors of Iran Moein Insurance Company (specialized insurance in free trade zones) said insurance companies can guarantee economic activities in Iran’s free trade zones.

During the meeting, Mr. Bank pointed to the background of activities of Iran Insurance Company in the country, adding that presence of Iran Moein Insurance Company in the free trade-industrial zones has provided this opportunity for the presence of other insurance companies in the zones.

He reiterated that the rise in effective services for users and insurers is the most important factor in the insurance activities.

Mr. Bank added that Iran Insurance enjoys having good specialized capacities and it can offer more effective and complete services for insurers in the free trade zones. He further said an investor in the free trade zone expects in the emergency and during the accidents to feel support of the insurance company in his economic activities.

Meanwhile the CEO of Iran Moein Insurance Company Mr. Daryush Mohammadi said that the company is to open branches in five special economic zones by the yearend.

He added that Iran Moein is in charge of almost 50 percent of insurance affairs in the zones and it is the biggest insurance company among the four active companies in the free zones.

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According To Iran News, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad said the country has provided agricultural organizations’ members with insurance support.

Hossein shirzad, who is also the chief executive officer of the Central Organization for Rural Cooperative of Iran, said that the members of rural and agricultural cooperatives have come under professional insurance umbrella.

The office of a guild and people-oriented bodies through contracting with the Mihan insurance agency provided insurance for more than 10,000 rural and agricultural members.

“In order to protect farmers, the CORC has provided them with health, life, and disability insurance,” Shirzad added.

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