Explaining the Health Status of Sistan in the Qajar and First Pahlavi Periods

 The land of Sistan, due to its proximity to the border areas, in the Qajar era, has been a gateway for some infectious diseases and its inhabitants have been affected by the pain and suffering of these diseases. Foreign governments, such as Britain and Russia, pursued the social and health issues of Sistan with sensitivity in pursuit of their colonial goals and their confidential documents prove it.

 The present study intends, with a descriptive-analytical approach and using library and archival sources, explain the health situation of Sistan in the Qajar and the first Pahlavi period.

Ethical Considerations:

 In compiling this research, the principle of trustworthiness and honesty of citing the used texts, originality of sources and avoiding bias in referring to texts or analyzes have been observed.

 The findings of the present study showed negligence of Qajar rulers and lack of health facilities and on the other hand, Sistan's proximity to Afghanistan has been effective in disrupting its health status. In addition, people's superstitions and traditional methods of treating diseases made Sistan a suitable bed for the prevalence and spread of the disease of infectious diseases such as cholera and plague. Meanwhile, the British government was forced to establish a hospital in Sistan in order to protect its interests. In the first Pahlavi era, with the evolution of the health care system, the sending of troops and services to this region gradually began and with this measure, the death rate due to diseases was reduced.

 Treatment methods were popular in Sistan during the Qajar era, as in other parts of Iran, based on experience and ancient traditional medicine. The new treatment was carried out by the Russian and British consulates for more influence and control in this area. After that, in the first Pahlavi era, with the prosperity of some cities in eastern Iran and the construction measures of Reza Shah and the provision of health facilities, medical and health equipment were gradually sent to Sistan and health and treatment centers flourished.