TEHRAN - The very first meeting of the blood transfusion organization of G5 countries, specifically Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan plus the World Health Organization, will be held in Tehran on February 14-15.

In this line, a coordination session was hung on Monday with the participation of agents of the blood transfusion companies of Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, the ambassadors of the mentioned countries, and the representative of the World Health Organization in Iran.During the conference, Jaffar Hussain, the World Health Organization agent to Iran, said: In my conference with Dr.

Tedros [Adhanom Ghebreyesus], the director-general of the World Health Organization, he motivated the group of 5 to boost cooperation and called other countries to follow this model of cooperation in various areas.

This cooperation program is extremely reliable at border points and manages the spread of illness from one nation to another, he added.Regional health plansHealth Minister Bahram Einollahi stated in October 2022 that considering specialized and experienced personnels, advanced medical facilities, and equipment, Iran can comply with the member countries of the World Health Organization to implement regional health plans.گرشHe made the remarks on the sidelines of the 69th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Egypt on October 10-13.

Ensuring health and managing pandemics needs the cooperation of all countries, specifically surrounding nations, and if any nation wishes to provide its own health without considering this requirement, it will not succeed, Einollahi stated.Iran has specialized and experienced personnels, advanced medical centers and equipment, medications, and efficient universities, and while preparing to work together with the member countries of the World Health Organization, it can carry out lots of strategies of the G5.Ahmed al-Mandhari, the World Health Organization director for Eastern Mediterranean Region, also expressed hope that the cooperation of this group will be broadened and sped up, especially from the border points.He revealed the preparedness of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office for technical support to Group Five in the field of health and requested to utilize the experiences of this group.Aamer Ikram, the Executive Director of the National Institute of Health Pakistan, likewise pointed out the cooperation of the G5 must become an ideal design for the Eastern Mediterranean countries.There are lots of capabilities in the member nations of the group of five, especially Iran, and these nations must utilize each others capacity, he stated.Iran initiated the facility of the G5 in 2005 to promote subregional cooperation in health amongst the group of 4 nations-- Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan-- plus the World Health Organization as the 5th member of this group to offer technical assistance in enhancing this collaboration.Several activities have currently been taken under this initiative, with the Islamic Republic of Iran taking obligation for functioning as its secretariat.In June 2021, Ahmed al-Mandhari, the World Health Organization director for Eastern Mediterranean Region, said the Islamic Republic of Iran is a good example for primary health care.For the previous four decades, its PHC network has actually intended to ensure that people have timely access to affordable, available, and acceptable necessary health services, he explained.Blood transfusion achievementsAccording to the reports offered by the World Health Organization, Iran competes with Europe and the U.S.

in blood donation indices, even outmatching them in one or two cases.Meanwhile, Iran is among the nations of the Eastern Mediterranean area as a recommendation in the field of blood donation activities.While blood contribution in 70 countries still depends upon replacement or paid donors, Iran is the first country in the area that has actually delighted in voluntary blood donation by 100 percent considering that 2007.

More than 85 percent of all contributed blood worldwide is utilized to produce blood items, while the rate is 65 percent in Eastern Mediterranean nations.

Iran ranks amongst the highest-income countries in terms of converting more than 97 percent of the blood contributed by individuals to plasma-derived medical products (PDMP).

Just 55 of 171 nations produce PDMP through the fractionation of plasma collected in the reporting country.

An overall of 90 countries reported that all PDMPs are imported, 16 countries reported that no PDMP was used throughout the reporting duration, and 10 nations did not respond to the question, according to WHO.Iran currently has the highest blood donation rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region, so out of 9.9 million blood contribution units in this area, more than two million comes from Iran.Also, the index of blood contribution is 25 per 1,000 populations, while in the member states of the Eastern Mediterranean region, this number is 14.9 per 1000.

Over 2.1 million Iranians donate blood annually.MG