Welcome to today’s episode of the Iranian Market. As a reminder, we talked about the successful industry of health tourism in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This week we’re going to discuss Iran’s great achievements in the field of treating infertility within the framework of health tourism. Keep us company until the end of the program.

Health tourism is a term for a trip that focuses on medical treatments (physical and psychological) and the use of healthcare services including operations in valid centers as well as improvement of health.

In this kind of tourism, the prime goal of the tourist is to receive treatment services as well as enjoying the tourist attractions of the destination country.

Since 1990s, health tourism has been flourishing across the world for multiple reasons including, free trade in the field of health services, the change of foreign currency rate in economy, the qualitative growth and development of medical equipment, the development of information technology and internet, and the aging of population. Medical tourism is one of the subdivisions of health tourism that includes different fields of treatment like treating infertility.

The ability of reproduction is considered as a value in most cultures. This ability is also one of the essential motives for forming a family.

Pregnancy and the ability to become a mother is a phase toward perfection of women; whereas, infertility leaves a very negative impact on people and exposes them toward familial and social pressures.

According to the figures of World Health Organization, 8 to 12 percent of couples all over the world experience a kind of infertility during their life. This means that between 50 to 80 million people are suffering from infertility throughout the world.

This, while with the development of new methods to cure infertility, couples take trips to advanced countries to receive the due medical services to enjoy a life of maternal and paternal pleasure.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is among the countries that has expert and experienced physicians and nurses as well as high quality laboratories in the field of treating infertility. According to official figures and statistics, Iran ranks first in West Asia- North Africa region in the field of studies on treating infertility. The Islamic Republic also ranks fourth in the world in this field.

Today, there are more than 50 medical centers in Iran that treat infertility and are host to foreign tourists and domestic patients. For example, every year, health tourists from the Persian Gulf littoral states including Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE refer to the infertility centers of Southern Iran.

Yazd Province is also among the Iranian provinces that enjoys global and regional reputation in the field of treating infertility.

This province enjoys research and treatment centers with international standards in the field of treating infertility.

The Iranian cities of Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, Qom, Kermanshah are among the cities that have developed clinics and centers that treat infertility. Every year, health tourists from different countries including Germany, Turkey, Iraq, Austria, Azerbaijan, Italy and Armenia travel to these cities for receiving the said medical care and services.

Among the reputed infertility centers of Tehran mention can be made of Royan Institute. Royan Institute is a public non-profit organization which is affiliated to Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR). It was established in 1991 by late Dr. Saeid Kazemi Ashtiani as a research institute for reproductive biomedicine and infertility treatments.

In 1998, this institute was approved by Ministry of Health as Cell Based Research Center. Now this institute acts as a pioneer of stem cells research and also one of the best clinics for infertility treatment. It has 81 scientific members and 232 researchers and lab technicians. Royan Institute consists of three research sections, each focused on different fields.

Among other renowned infertility centers of Iran mention can be made of Avicenna Research Institute that was established in Tehran in order to achieve latest medical technologies through conducting clinical and laboratory research projects in 1998. The institute consists of three research centers including Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Monoclonal Antibody Research Center (MARC) and Nano-biotechnology Research Center. This Institute also includes Avicenna Biotechnology Incubator and Avicenna Infertility Clinic.

According to the official figures, every year a large number of couples with infertility problems mostly from European and Asian countries travel to Iran for treatment.

AE/RM/SS