TEHRAN – A total of 5 trillion rials (about $15.6 million) was spent on infertility treatment and youth law in the first six months of this year, which started on 21 March, said the deputy director of the Health Insurance Organization.
Iran’s universal public health insurance scheme, known as Salamat health insurance, covers hospitalization, paraclinical and outpatient services, including doctor’s visits, radiology, laboratory tests and medical expenses. medicines in any public hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health.
Currently, 63 special drugs and 28 medical supplies necessary for the treatment of infertility are covered by insurance companies, ISNA said on Sunday quoting Mehdi Rezaei.
He said some 56 government centers, 44 private centers and about 30 independent and non-independent public centers are contracting health insurance, which has increased from last year.
According to the commitments, 90% of the costs of infertility treatment are covered by the insurance. So far, in the first six months of the year, 5 trillion rials (about $15.6 million) have been spent on infertility services.
By a decree of President Ebrahim Raisi, the “Law on Family and Youth Support” approved by the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) was notified to the Ministry of Health and the Vice Presidency for Women and Affairs family.
The Guardian Council approved the law on November 17 to implement a 7-year population growth and family support plan to change the downward trend in childbearing.
The plan includes health insurance for infertile couples, provision of services and facilities for working women, provision of health and nutritional support programs for mothers and children, educational opportunities for student mothers, provision of family livelihood support and ongoing medical services to pregnant women.
20% of Iranian couples have infertility problems
Four million Iranian couples (equivalent to 15-20% of the total number of couples) suffer from infertility, said infertility specialist Naser Amir Jannati.
Many studies show that men are involved in more than 50% of infertility cases. In other words, they can be the main cause of this problem or play a role in this disorder along with female causes.
Although some of the causes of male infertility are still unknown, most of the causes are known and treatable, he pointed out, IRNA reported.
The provinces with the highest number of infertile couples are Kerman, Bushehr, Sistan-Balochistan and Ilam, he added.
Births fell by 10,000
A total of 269,748 births were registered in the spring (March 21-June 21), a decrease of 10,816 births from the same period last year, according to the report released by the Statistical Center of Iran.
In the first three months of this year, 130,715 girls and 139,033 boys were born in the country.
The fertility rate has fallen to 1.71 children in the past [Iranian calendar] year (March 2020-March 2021), reaching below replacement level.
The replacement level is the amount of fertility needed to maintain the same population from one generation to the next. It refers to the total fertility rate that will result in a stable population without it increasing or decreasing.
FB/MG
