Arash Rashidian
Biographic Data
| ID | 378855 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Arash Rashidian |
| GIVEN NAMES | Arash |
| FAMILY NAME | Rashidian |
| SIGNATURE | RASHIDIAN A |
| AFFILIATIONS | World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4005-5183 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 41 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 21 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 41 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Mapping the Momentum
Identifying the trends and patterns of bioethics research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region provides valuable insights into research interests and productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the region’s bioethics research outputs between 1974–2022 using a bibliometric approach. Publications from countries in the region indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were analysed. The results showed a clear upward trend, with an average annual gr…
Governance Structures for Health Research Ethics in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
IntroductionThis work aimed at mapping research ethics governance at EMR countries.MethodsThe study used two tools shared with Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries. The first enquired about legal provisions and regulatory frameworks, as well as Research Ethics Committee (REC) composition, resources, procedures. The second covered ethical oversight of clinical trials (CTs), including coordination of ethical reviews.ResultsMost respondents …
Shifting the centre of gravity in the global evidence ecosystem for health
BOX Global challenges in recent years, including humanitarian, climate-related and public health crises, have highlighted critical weaknesses in the application of evidence in decision-making, both locally and globally
Measuring progress on health and well-being in the Eastern Mediterranean Region via voluntary national reviews, 2016–2021
Background Country s ubmission of Voluntary National Reviews is the formal mechanism to report on progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite strong political commitment to strong information systems, large data gaps exist in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Methods This study aims to review reports submitted by countries in the region to assess the comprehensiveness of reporting on the health-reported SDG targets and indicator…
Integrating health across the Sustainable Development Goals in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Voluntary National Reviews are the formal mechanism for countries to report on progress and share lessons learned on SDG implementation. We assessed the Voluntary National Reviews submitted by countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to note the reported progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation, the review preparation process and how health is positioned and framed to identify priorities for accelerating progress on …
Core health indicators in countries with high proportion of expatriates
Background: Population size and structure have a huge impact on health indicators. In countries with a high proportion of expatriates, there are some limitations in estimating, aggregating and reporting of the health indicators, and corrections may be required in the established estimation methodologies. We review the case of Qatar to see how its specific population characteristics affect its health indicators. Methods: We used routinely collecte…
Mapping of national population-based surveys for better reporting of health-related indicators in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
In order to effectively report health-related indicators, HES, DHS/MICS and GSHS are considered essential in national survey timetables. Each country needs to devise and implement a plan for population-based surveys by considering factors such as national health priorities, financial and human capacities, and previous experiences
WHO’s support for Covid-19 research and knowledge management in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Health research, innovation and knowledge management remain major priorities of the WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) supports priority research initiatives that address gaps in current knowledge regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a specific call for proposals, 122 research proposals were received and reviewed in 2020, of which 17 were recommended for funding from eight countries. Te…
Covid-19 pandemic response in one of the world’s most complex and vulnerable settings
Learning from Covid-19 to prevent and prepare for pandemics in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Time for a new global roadmap for supporting evidence into action
COP27 Climate Change Conference
Wealthy nations must step up support for Africa and vulnerable countries in addressing past, present and future impacts of climate change The 2022 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) paints a dark picture of the future of life on earth, characterised by ecosystem collapse, species extinction, and climate hazards such as heatwaves [...]
COP27 Climate Change Conference
COP27 Climate Change Conference—Urgent Action Needed for Africa and the World
Wealthy nations must step up support for Africa and vulnerable countries in addressing past, present, and future impacts of climate change
Conférence COP27 sur le changement climatique
Conferencia sobre Cambio Climático COP27
Conferência sobre Mudança do Clima COP27
COP27 Climate Change Conference
COP27 Climate Change Conference
Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has put research evidence and its use in health policy-making under a new spotlight.1 Faced with the need for immediate action, as most recently shown with vaccination roll-out strategies,2 many politicians and other leaders have publicly stressed the need to follow the ‘science’. Scientific advisors and advisory bodies have gained unprecedented visibility. At the same time, the conflicts between researchers/health experts a…
Setting health care services tariffs in Iran
Use of evidence-informed models and methods in medical tariff setting could help to strike the right balance in the process of health care services provision to address health system objectives. A sensitive application of policy models can offer significant insights into the nature of medical tariff setting and highlight existing constraints and opportunities. This study generates lessons learned in tariffs setting, particularly for low- and midd…
What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of merging health insurance funds? A qualitative policy analysis from Iran
Merging health insurance schemes in Iran is influenced by a wide range of potential merits and drawbacks. Thus, to facilitate the process and lessen opponents' objection, policy makers should act as brokers by taking into account contextual factors and adopting tailored policies to respectively maximize and minimize the potential benefits and drawbacks of consolidation in Iran
Iran in transition
Being the second-largest country in the Middle East, Iran has a long history of civilisation during which several dynasties have been overthrown and established and health-related structures have been reorganised. Iran has had the replacement of traditional practices with modern medical treatments, emergence of multiple pioneer scientists and physicians with great contributions to the advancement of science, environmental and ecological changes i…
Socio-economic inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption among adolescent students in Iran
Objective: The present study aimed to assess and decompose the socio-economic inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption among adolescent students in Kerman, Iran. Design: The data were obtained from a cross-sectional study. Principal component analysis was done to measure the socio-economic status (SES) of the adolescents’ families and the normalized concentration index (NCI) was used to measure the inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption amo…
Applying GRADE-Cerqual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings
The GRADE-CERQual ('Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research') approach provides guidance for assessing how much confidence to place in findings from systematic reviews of qualitative research (or qualitative evidence syntheses). The approach has been developed to support the use of findings from qualitative evidence syntheses in decision-making, including guideline development and policy formulation. Confidence in the evid…
An assessment of recent Iranian fertility trends using parity progression ratios
In 2013 a draft population bill was introduced in the Iranian Parliament. Based on the presumption that fertility in Iran had fallen to a very low level, the bill proposed a wide range of pronatalist policies with the aim of increasing fertility to 2.5 bir
Inequality in household catastrophic health care expenditure in a low-income society of Iran
BACKGROUND: We assessed change in household catastrophic health care expenditures (CHE) and inequality in facing such expenditures in south-west Tehran. METHODS: A cluster-sampled survey was conducted in 2003 using the World Health Survey questionnaire. We repeated the survey on the same sample in 2008 (635 and 603 households, respectively). We estimated the proportion of households facing CHE using the 'household's capacity to pay'. We identifie…
Expediency and coincidence in re-engineering a health system
BACKGROUND: Analysing the evidence generated over decades, the World Health Report 2008 recommended the expansion of primary health care (PHC) to achieve better population health, higher equity and lower costs. Over the last two decades, the Iranian model of PHC has resulted in population health indices that match the best in the region. Despite the extensive PHC networks in rural areas, there was an expansion of private outpatient care and hospi…
The experience of purchaser–provider split in the implementation of family physician and rural health insurance in Iran
BACKGROUND: The Iranian health system, under the banner of family physician (FP) programme, has undergone substantial reforms to change utilization of health services, improve quality of care and enhance affordability. The national implementation of FP initiated in 2005 in parallel with rural health insurance (RHI) in rural areas and cities of <20 000 populations in Iran. The implementation of FP was the first national attempt to split the purcha…
The Role of Sociocognitive Mediators in the Beliefs-Intentions Relationship
The mediating role of the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) constructs in the belief constructs-intention relationship is examined in this study. We investigated the mediation ability of TPB constructs on Iranian adolescents' intentions to consume unhealthy snacks. A sample of 739 adolescents completed questionnaires assessing behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), …
Parental willingness to pay for child safety seats in Mashad, Iran
The median parental WTP was much lower than the actual price of the safety seats, and those who were of lower socio-economic class were less willing to pay. Interventions to increase low-income families' access to child safety seats such as providing free of charge or subsidized seats, renting or health insurance coverage should be considered
Expediency and coincidence in re-engineering a health system
BACKGROUND: Analysing the evidence generated over decades, the World Health Report 2008 recommended the expansion of primary health care (PHC) to achieve better population health, higher equity and lower costs. Over the last two decades, the Iranian model of PHC has resulted in population health indices that match the best in the region. Despite the extensive PHC networks in rural areas, there was an expansion of private outpatient care and hospi…
Inequality in household catastrophic health care expenditure in a low-income society of Iran
BACKGROUND: We assessed change in household catastrophic health care expenditures (CHE) and inequality in facing such expenditures in south-west Tehran. METHODS: A cluster-sampled survey was conducted in 2003 using the World Health Survey questionnaire. We repeated the survey on the same sample in 2008 (635 and 603 households, respectively). We estimated the proportion of households facing CHE using the 'household's capacity to pay'. We identifie…
The Socioeconomic Status of Street Children in Iran
To document the socioeconomic situation of street children in Iran and to ascertain the part played by this in becoming a street child, we classified and evaluated studies on this issue from the recent decade according to their strengths and weaknesses. The results will be helpful in policy‐making and planning for this group. The study employed a systematic review methodology, searching Iranian and international databases, and many universities a…
Using Qualitative Evidence in Decision Making for Health and Social Interventions
Simon Lewin and colleagues present a methodology for increasing transparency and confidence in qualitative research synthesis.
The experience of purchaser–provider split in the implementation of family physician and rural health insurance in Iran
BACKGROUND: The Iranian health system, under the banner of family physician (FP) programme, has undergone substantial reforms to change utilization of health services, improve quality of care and enhance affordability. The national implementation of FP initiated in 2005 in parallel with rural health insurance (RHI) in rural areas and cities of <20 000 populations in Iran. The implementation of FP was the first national attempt to split the purcha…
An assessment of recent Iranian fertility trends using parity progression ratios
In 2013 a draft population bill was introduced in the Iranian Parliament. Based on the presumption that fertility in Iran had fallen to a very low level, the bill proposed a wide range of pronatalist policies with the aim of increasing fertility to 2.5 bir
Persian Diabetes Self-Management Education (PDSME) program
Despite increasing rate of diabetes, no standard self-management education protocol has been developed in Iran. We designed Persian Diabetes Self-Management Education (PDSME) program using intervention mapping. Effectiveness of program was assessed in newly diagnosed people with type 2 diabetes and those who had received little self-management education. Individuals aged 18 and older (n = 350) were recruited in this prospective controlled trial d…
Essential medicines for universal health coverage
Seeking affluent neighbourhoods?’ a time-trend analysis of geographical distribution of hospitals in the Megacity of Tehran
OBJECTIVE: Access to hospitals in megacities in low and middle income countries might be hampered by travel barriers and distance. We assessed the 'inverse care law' hypothesis: whether hospitals tended to be built in the relatively better-off areas through the time. METHODS: A longitudinal time-series study (1966 to 2011) in Tehran to measure inequality in the distribution of hospital beds. We assessed correlations between the district socioecon…
Applying GRADE-Cerqual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings
The GRADE-CERQual ('Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research') approach provides guidance for assessing how much confidence to place in findings from systematic reviews of qualitative research (or qualitative evidence syntheses). The approach has been developed to support the use of findings from qualitative evidence syntheses in decision-making, including guideline development and policy formulation. Confidence in the evid…
Is an Iranian Health Promoting School status associated with improving school food environment and snacking behaviors in adolescents?
The Iranian Health Promoting Schools (IHPS) program was first piloted and then formally established in Iran in 2011 as a framework to promote healthy environment and behaviors such as proper dietary practice among adolescents. This study examined the role of IHPS in improving the school food environment and snacking behaviors among adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, 1320 eighth grade students from 40 middle schools with IHPS and non-IHPS…
Setting research priorities to achieve long-term health targets in Iran
BACKGROUND: In 2015, it was estimated that the burden of disease in Iran comprised of 19 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), 74% of which were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The observed leading causes of death were cardiovascular diseases (41.9%), neoplasms (14.9%), and road traffic injuries (7.4%). Even so, the health research investment in Iran continues to remain limited. This study aims to identify national health resea…
Effectiveness of the national food supplementary program on children growth and nutritional status in Iran
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the national food distribution program on the growth and nutritional status of malnourished or growth‐retarded children in 2 provinces of Iran. A quasi‐experimental design was used for the effectiveness evaluation. Qualitative data were gathered to explain the results. An intervention group consisted of 362 children aged 6–72 months who were under coverage of the program. These children received m…
Prevalence and intensity of catastrophic health care expenditures in Iran from 2008 to 2015
According to the findings, Iran's healthcare system has failed to realize the aim of five-year national development plan regarding CHE prevalence (1% CHE prevalence according to the plan). Therefore, revision of financial health care protection policies focusing on pre-payments seems mandatory. For instance, these policies should extend the interventions that target low-income populations particularly in rural areas, provide more coverage for cat…
Process evaluation of a national, community-based, food supplementary programme for improving the nutritional status of children in Iran
Objective To evaluate the process of implementation of a national nutritional programme for improving the nutritional status of children in Iran. Design A cross-sectional process evaluation was carried out using field observations, document reviews, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Setting Data were collected across urban and rural areas of Qazvin and Semnan provinces of Iran, March–September 2014. Subjects Mothers ( n 362)…
Iran in transition
Being the second-largest country in the Middle East, Iran has a long history of civilisation during which several dynasties have been overthrown and established and health-related structures have been reorganised. Iran has had the replacement of traditional practices with modern medical treatments, emergence of multiple pioneer scientists and physicians with great contributions to the advancement of science, environmental and ecological changes i…
Socio-economic inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption among adolescent students in Iran
Objective: The present study aimed to assess and decompose the socio-economic inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption among adolescent students in Kerman, Iran. Design: The data were obtained from a cross-sectional study. Principal component analysis was done to measure the socio-economic status (SES) of the adolescents’ families and the normalized concentration index (NCI) was used to measure the inequality in unhealthy snacks consumption amo…
Setting health care services tariffs in Iran
Use of evidence-informed models and methods in medical tariff setting could help to strike the right balance in the process of health care services provision to address health system objectives. A sensitive application of policy models can offer significant insights into the nature of medical tariff setting and highlight existing constraints and opportunities. This study generates lessons learned in tariffs setting, particularly for low- and midd…
What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of merging health insurance funds? A qualitative policy analysis from Iran
Merging health insurance schemes in Iran is influenced by a wide range of potential merits and drawbacks. Thus, to facilitate the process and lessen opponents' objection, policy makers should act as brokers by taking into account contextual factors and adopting tailored policies to respectively maximize and minimize the potential benefits and drawbacks of consolidation in Iran
Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has put research evidence and its use in health policy-making under a new spotlight.1 Faced with the need for immediate action, as most recently shown with vaccination roll-out strategies,2 many politicians and other leaders have publicly stressed the need to follow the ‘science’. Scientific advisors and advisory bodies have gained unprecedented visibility. At the same time, the conflicts between researchers/health experts a…
WHO’s support for Covid-19 research and knowledge management in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Health research, innovation and knowledge management remain major priorities of the WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) supports priority research initiatives that address gaps in current knowledge regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a specific call for proposals, 122 research proposals were received and reviewed in 2020, of which 17 were recommended for funding from eight countries. Te…
Covid-19 pandemic response in one of the world’s most complex and vulnerable settings
Learning from Covid-19 to prevent and prepare for pandemics in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Medicine (26 works) · Political science (19 works) · Environmental health (13 works) · Economic growth (12 works) · Business (11 works) · Economics (11 works) · Climate Change and Health Impacts (10 works) · Geography (10 works) · Health care (10 works) · Healthcare Systems and Reforms (10 works)