مجله فرهنگ و ارتقای سلامت (فرهنگستان علوم پزشکی جمهوری اسلامی ایران)
پیاپی 1 (بهار 1397)

The planning and timely implementation of health policies and the provision for necessary healthcare by the officials in charge will help resist and overcome our enemies whilst working under the harsh conditions imposed by sanctions on Iran; this in turn will help attain long-term stability, develop the healthcare system, and strengthen national security. The initiatives to be implemented to this end are based upon the health policies rendered during the Iraq-Iran War that were based on pursuing a defensive stance inherent to Islamic culture and prevalent in the Iranian society. In this commentary the views on policies and options to consider and pursue in provision of healthcare and related issues advocated by the permanent members of the Academy of Medical Sciences, are presented; thus reflecting their commitment and their experience in regard to the aforementioned issues.

Health is one of God's most important blessings; it is one of the necessities of life. Spirituality is the heart of Islam. It has four aspects namely verbal (philosophical), Islamic law (judicial), behavioral (values), and historical (social) aspects. Islamic spiritual health parameters are explained in this context. Group discussions and library studies were used to study and address various spiritual health topics in Persian. The results of this study provides an appropriate framework as a basis for further studies on Islamic spiritual health which upon completion can form the foundation for further research on this important topic.

The general health policies have been announced by the supreme leader of Iran as a binding document in order to improve Iran's health system. In consideration of the fact that no attempt has been made yet to explain the concepts of this document we sought to discuss and make them practical in order that they may be more easily implemented. In the first stage, 14 research teams studied each article individually using library based qualitative research. The teams then merged the concepts based on the results of the studies of the first stage and explained them. Overall in this study, 92 concepts were identified and explained. Although, some concepts in two or more articles were repetitive, these concepts were placed where they were deemed to be most relevant to the topic. One of the main features of this document in comparison to other national and international documents regarding health policies is the incorporation of human and Islamic values. This document is a dynamic, responsive, and fair health policy seeking to provide a healthy environment in which all health risks are controlled. Furthermore, the responsibilities of the society and the governance of other sectors necessary for development of an ideal society are well explained herein.

Assessment of general healthcare policies and appraisal of the role and effectiveness of these policies as well as their strengths and weaknesses are important. The aim of this study was to present a model to assess the parameters of the general healthcare policy of Iran. This qualitative study was undertaken in 2018 to identify appropriate parameters by which to assess the general Healthcare policies. To this end first a list of appropriate assessment indicies were identified via review of the literature at hand. Then with consideration of the selection criteria the list was truncated. Ultimately, the relevant parameters were selected. A total of 345 indices or parameters were first identified and selected; then based on the selection criteria 65 parameters were chosen. After gathering the opinions of specialists 57 parameters for quantitative assessment of Healthcare policies were chosen. In the end the final selection of the quantitative healthcare policies were presented as a group. The pattern of indices and parameters proposed can function as an effective and appropriate tool used to assess advancement or deterioration of the goals listed in the current healthcare policy. Although this pattern has its weaknesses and shortcomings relative to proposed parameters and methods of assessment, it however appears to be a good place to start; because important interventions taken in Healthcare and health policy are not ascertained there is nothing at hand to show whether or not these intervention were correct or incorrect.

In order for implementation of announced general health policies, the first step is to explain the various dimensions of each policy for the policymakers. In this regard the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran in accordance with the 14 –article policies sought to explain 16 studies related to articles in this document. This study was designed and conducted to merge the mentioned interventions of the various articles in this policy document. This qualitative study was done in 2018. Interventions which had priority were explained and the announced policies were selected and were merged and classified by the teams using qualitative analysis based on the health policy framework. A total of 149 interventions were selected to implement in healthcare policies; these interventions were merged into 5 groups and were presented. There were 46 structural interventions, 55 outcomes interventions, 39 practical interventions, 9 content interventions and 23 behavioral interventions. In conclusion interventions in health policy showed that the acquisition of financial resources should be provided as “fee-for-services” and structured upon a “referral framework” to improve the quality of healthcare rendered.

Assessment and enforcement of the current healthcare status can help attain a common goal namely to benefit those in need and to provide an appropriate infrastructure for rendering optimal Healthcare Services and improving health indices. This study aimed to assess the provision for National Healthcare based on Islamic values as well as to address the first policy of the 14-section health policy plan by which healthcare, education, welfare, research, treatment and rehabilitation are rendered. This healthcare policy plan is based on Islamic values and principles inherent to the Iranian society. In this qualitative study, reference books, texts and national documentation from internet websites were used to evaluate and assess the status of the primary healthcare policy currently implemented in our society. Instigation of the first policy of healthcare is based on the implementation of three main parameters seeking to improve the level of healthcare education, the level of spiritual health in the society, the response to health services providing interventions focusing on Islamic principles and human values, and the use of interdepartmental cooperation in the society. The stakeholders are the Ministry of Health and Medical Education which is mainly responsible for the country's Healthcare affairs as well as other related ministries of the country namely the Ministry of Planning and Development, the Ministry of Industry and Management, the Department of Education and Research , the High Council for settling medical disputes, the Medical Council of Iran, and the Deputy Ministry of Human Rights or the High Court of Justice. Attaining the goals of the aforementioned parameters is based on compilation and implementation of functional programs and execution of interventional parameters via responsible organizations in sync with the cooperation of other healthcare sectors and NGOs of the society.

The presence of international organizations and agencies such as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) investigating calamities are trusted by the scientific communities of numerous countries; by collaborating with them the reliability of these organizations and the quality and validity of their reports will increase. Scientists from our country at the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran scrutinized a number of ambiguities connected to the claimed Douma incident on April 7, 2018. A summary of the debates relevant to clinical signs and biological samples were sent to OPCW. Former reports concerning the chemical tragedy in Syria (in 2013 and 2017) also had a number of shortcomings which are addressed in this paper. Additionally the persistence of western news media insisting upon the fact that nerve gas was used in Syria and the relation between skripal poisoning and the Douma incident is also explained. In this paper the dangers of destroying chemical weapons via rocket attacks are discussed as well.

Following 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran national medicine policy has changed to a compulsory Generic based medicine policy. Self-sufficiency in national pharmaceutical market and providing cheap medicines for public were the main goals of this policy. However, despite implementation of "National Generic Medicine Policy" for past 40 years the aspects of this policy never explained clearly by the policy makers. In past three decades, this policy and consequently Iran National Policy has undergone drastic changes. Iran Ministry of Health allowed production and/or importation of brand and brand-generic medicine into market, along with generic medicines. Recently Pharmaceutical department of Iran National Medicine Academia has proposed a definition for National Generic Medicine Policy and send it to national authorities for its approval. In this paper some chronological aspects of National Generic Medicine Policy and its success and pitfalls have been explained.

The pure life or “Hayat Tayyabeh”is a spiritual subject and a genuine Quranic term explained in the religious culture of Islam; this genuine term may be known to be synonymous with the contemporary term “ spiritual health” in the Persian language literature. Allah the exalted and most high has stated in the holy Quran that "Any man or woman who doth a righteous deed provided they have faith in God shall be granted a blessed and eternal prosperous life; and God shall grant them a reward much better than the righteous deed they did. " A life pure and enjoyable is God’s gift to those with faith and righteous deeds and not for the pagans , hypocrites or polytheists.
People may be divided into 3 main groups namely a group which confine life to nature and matter and deny the creator of the world; another group that despite believing weakly in God confine the material life to nature and matter and do not really believe in resurrection. The 3rd group comprise those who have faith and believe in origination and resurrection and accounting of deeds on the Day of Judgment. The belief of people has an effect on their worldly life. In this paper the path to the pure life with its special Quranic attributes is presented along with its reliance upon the lifestyle advocated by Islam. In this context the pure life which is virtually Islamic spiritual health in the worldly life and achieving perfection and eternal prosperity is attainable by following the ordainments of the holy Quran and the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and his infallible household; then eternal prosperity is guaranteed.

Transcendental medicine is the branch of science that deals with health and treatment of diseases of the human body by maintaining health and homeostasis and return to function if there is damage. The main concern of biology and medicine is life. Among the complex medical problems there is a logical relationship between the soul, the mind, and the body. The Sadra philosophy is among the most important philosophical schools of thought relating to transcendental wisdom which has a holistic philosophical view on such matters. In this paper we present the transcendental wisdom of Mollasadra regarding the theory of transcendental medicine. In this study scientific presentation of theories and library-oriented studies were used. Following an introduction to the science of philosophy the Islamic philosophical schools of thought were formed (transcendental wisdom) and were explained; the basis and principles construed from the relationship of medicine and transcendental wisdom are explained and the theory of transcendental medicine is discussed. Via extraction of Quranic teachings and their transformation into theorems and axioms which can be tested , data collection and analysis of the theory of transcendental medicine is presented for contemplation of thinkers, Islamic scholars and theologians as well as healthcare officials.