Now that its been more than two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, by using the collected data and a Retrospective manner, we can assess the mitigatory measures that countries and governments took in hopes of controlling and containing this disease.

Although this virus affected all aspects of our lives and controlling it required a coordinated multi-sectoral effort from all departments in a country, due to the central role of the health system in this crisis, the effects on this system and their response are of particular importance. What we have learned over the years can play a key role in controlling and preventing the recurrence of such diseases.

Therefore, the Eastern Mediterranean Office of the World Health Organization has decided to collect and publish the experiences of the health systems and Primary Health Care (PHC) of the countries of this region. The case study of the response of the health and Primary Health Care (PHC) system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, gathered by our colleagues at the Health Equity Research Center (HERC) that was presented at the meeting of the Universal Health Coverage Day in Cairo, focuses on three areas: the reaction of the Primary Health Care system to the spread of the corona virus, intersectoral measures and policies implemented in response to the epidemic, as well as the society’s response to the spread of this disease in Iran, and by illustrating the taken measures, implemented programs and policies, and the formed inter-sectoral collaborations, explains the achievements of the health and Primary Health Care (PHC) system of the Islamic Republic of Iran in mitigating this pandemic. We hope that this publication would be of assistance to health experts and policy makers for the prevention and control of future emerging diseases.