Equity in health is defined as “equity in access (horizontal and vertical) to the same healthcare services for equal needs” and its realization has always been an ultimate goal for every healthcare system. For the Iranian context, equity is not only one of the highest social and religious ideals, but is also emphasized in our upstream documents and legislation as well. According to these policies, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, as the main healthcare provider, is obliged to make use of all available resources, and create inter-sectoral cooperation to make equity in health a national concern and improve and achieve equity in health.

Considering the importance of equity for the healthcare system and the need to establish a comprehensive understanding of the state of health inequalities in the country, the Health Equity Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences conducted a national research entitled “Measuring Equity status in the healthcare system, examining causes and factors of inequality in the country’s healthcare system and providing practical solutions to promote equity in the healthcare system of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. This national project, commissioned by the Ministry of Health, and Medical Education, was conducted in three years with the help of more than 30 experts of the healthcare system

This book, which is one of the outcomes of this project, is composed of seven chapters, each presenting and analyzing the most important findings of this national project, and proposing policy packages for reducing inequality and improving the healthcare system. We hope that this book will be an stepping stone in identifying the roots and reducing the inequalities in the healthcare system of the Islamic Republic of Iran