IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

Health and well-being are two of the most essential governance topics which have challenged government officials in every country throughout the world. One of the issues that complicates matters is their multilateral nature; health in itself is a multi-dimensional context and its level is decided not only by the quality and quantity of medical interventions, efficiency of the health sector and hospitals but also by factors like income, social status, education, and even one’s place of residence, which is why improving health status, either on an individual scale or a national one, has always been a great challenge for health actors. Some of the most influential factors that threaten one’s health, which have become hot topics of debate among health professionals in recent years, are factors generally known and the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) and their role in deciding the health and well-being of individuals and nations. To give a short description, Social Determinants of Health (SDHs) include social, economic, cultural, geographical, and other similar factors that either directly or indirectly influence health (which can become inevitable at times); these factors are the major influencers of one’s health from childhood till elder years and could have irreversible impacts.

Their great impact on health is a recognized fact these days, and that is why to improve health outcomes, governments are shifting their health research trends towards identification, exploration, and controlling the impact of these factors. The Iranian health system, which also has been trying to improve well-being through targeted and efficient means, alongside its remarkable technological advances has dedicated a great share of its health research capacities to SDHs. This is what lead to the SDHs Research Web’s creation in the Ministry of Health and Education. Their duty was to establish SDHs research centers throughout the country and gather evidence.

The Health Equity Research Center, affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences as one of these SDH research centers, officially began its work in the autumn of 2017, and till this day we have been constantly publishing and conducting research in line with our primary goals of “increasing awareness of equity and decreasing inequities in health”; and today we are honored to announce that this center has been elected as the Secretariat of the Social Determinants of Health’s Research Web of Islamic Republic of Iran by Dr. Bagher Larijani.

Further, our director Dr. Alireza Olyaeemanesh has been named the Secretary of the SDHs Research Web.

We would like to humbly present you our gratitudes. We hope and aspire to be a fitting advocate for this Research Web’s missions so that together we may achieve a healthier and more equal future.