The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Health and Strategies for Mitigation: A Glance at the Case of Iran

Abstract

Background: Sanctions can affect humanitarian, GDP growth, the value of the national currency, income inequality, poverty, food security, and health. This study aims to represent the relationship between sanctions and public health and the strategies to deal with it. Methods: The study used a mixed-methods approach. We used data and information from two sources: a scoping literature review and a survey on experts' opinions (10 participants from health policymakers, managers, and researchers). Inductive thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the qualitative data with the MAXQDA software version 10. Results: The international economic sanctions affect directly and indirectly on targeted population's right to access social welfare and health. The literature review about Iran showed that the sanction had affected public health in four general respects: Economic, Sociocultural, political, and direct health factors. The strategies to deal with sanctions categorized into two themes are the health sector and the health-related extra-sector. Conclusions: The devastating effects of economic sanctions directly and indirectly on health have significantly reduced financial and physical access to drugs and medical equipment in Iran, leading to a substantial decline in public health, The UN and the international community should anticipate these side-effects of sanctions to prevent further humanitarian catastrophes in the future.