TEHRAN – Thanks to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education's (MoHME) leadership and support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN, Iran is advancing towards a future where every health facility is safe and resilient and no one is left behind.

Their cooperative efforts have resulted in organizing different capacity-building workshops, including one held from October 11 to 15 for environmental health experts to strengthen the capacity of participants to lead improvements in water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), waste management, and cleaning services in health facilities, essential elements of infection prevention, patient safety, and quality care.

Health experts from 40 universities of medical sciences across 25 provinces participated in a national training of trainers (ToT), the  WHO website announced in a press release on October 29.

“Safe and sustainable WASH services are not optional; they are fundamental to delivering quality health care, protecting patients and health workers, and building climate-resilient health systems,” said Jaffar Hussain, WHO Officer-in-Charge in Iran. “This training has equipped national experts with the tools and knowledge to make this a reality in every health facility.”

The training combined classroom learning with field visits and practical group exercises, allowing participants to apply the WASH FIT methodology in real-world settings. Facilitators from WHO and UNICEF noted the high level of professionalism and engagement, describing it as one of the most successful WASH FIT trainings conducted in the Region.

WASH FIT is a risk-based, iterative management tool developed by WHO and UNICEF to help health facilities identify hazards, prioritize improvements, and monitor progress. Its adoption can reduce health care-associated infections, improve maternal and newborn care, and build resilience against climate and health threats. In use in more than 50 countries, it enables health facilities to identify risks, plan and prioritize low-cost improvements, and monitor progress over time.

The initiative builds on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ongoing efforts to improve WASH in health care, including a 2021 baseline assessment of 742 facilities and a costed national roadmap developed with WHO support. It aligns with the WHO–MoHME 5-year strategic framework on environmental and occupational health and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Iran.

The workshop concluded with a high-level ceremony at Shahid Rajaei Heart Hospital attended by senior officials from MoHME, the Ministry of Energy, the Presidential Department of Environment, WHO, UNICEF, and the United Nations.

Dorina Andreev-Jitaro, UNICEF Representative in Iran, commended Iran’s commitment. “These are not luxuries, but the very foundation of quality care and dignity for every patient,” she said.

Stefan Priesner, UN Resident Coordinator in Iran, highlighted the significance of the training, adding: “Institutionalizing WASH FIT within national standards, financing and monitoring frameworks will ensure these improvements endure.”

Partners from the UN and MoHME agreed on the next steps, including a provincial cascade of training to expand WASH FIT implementation nationwide, and technical assistance to integrate the tool into national monitoring systems.

UNICEF, WHO support vaccination programs in Iran

UNICEF and the WHO have supported the health ministry in procuring needed vaccinations and will help introduce new vaccines into the national immunization program.

One of UNICEF’s top priorities is to support the country in adding new vaccines to the immunization program to protect children against more diseases and reduce their mortality, ISNA quoted Mohammad Eslami, an official with UNICEF, as saying.

He made the remarks while addressing a workshop on immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases in Kerman province,  ISNA reported.

Despite sanctions, UNICEF is doing its utmost to provide the vaccines needed and to assist the Ministry of Health to ensure that no child is left behind, the official added.

Highlighting the importance of cold chain systems, Eslami said the main objective is to provide cold chain equipment to preserve the potency of the vaccines.

Currently, the cold chain conditions in the country are good, and the Ministry of Health, with the support of UNICEF, is providing new, standard cold storage facilities to install in areas without out cold chain system.

UNICEF has also provided 17 standard refrigerated vehicles for transporting vaccines, at a safe temperature range, to different parts of the country,  he added.

The official went on to say that families and children should learn about the key role of vaccination in preventing life-threatening diseases. Therefore, teaching target groups is among UNICEF’s main activities that will be implemented this year, Eslami further noted.

For his turn, Omid Zamani, an official with the WHO, lauded the country’s achievements in immunization programs and said vaccine coverage in Iran is around 97 percent, which is satisfactory.

However, in some border areas and areas inhabited by migrants, children and adults may not have adequate access to vaccination. So it is essential that the country accurately identifies and covers these areas, as well, he said.

Referring to Rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines added to the national immunization program last year, the official said that in the next five years, three more vaccines will be introduced to the national immunization program.

MT/MG