Minister hails Iran’s health achievements

Iranian Health Minister Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi has hailed the country’s achievements in healthcare and called for cooperation between Iran and Russia in the field.

Vahid-Dastjerdi made the remarks in Moscow on Friday at the First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-Communicable Disease Control, the Press TV correspondent in Moscow reported.

She went on to say that Iranian specialists can now produce over 96 percent of the medicinal needs of the country and added that child and maternal mortality has dropped significantly in Iran in recent decades.

In addition, the Islamic Republic produces medical isotopes for cancer patients, the Iranian health minister added.

The Iranian delegation to the conference also paid visits to some of Russia’s major medical and educational facilities and held talks with Russian health officials.

The forum was organized by the World Health Organization with the goals of developing and promoting programs on healthy lifestyles and strengthening global cooperation in preventing and curing non-infectious diseases.

Delegates from 160 countries, including 90 health ministers, participated in the conference.

Earlier in the week, the head of Iran’s Pharmaceutical Union, Gholamreza Shariati, said Iran domestically produces over 2,500 different medicines and exports about $100 million worth of medicines to 30 countries per year.