In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the most Merciful
I’m honored with the responsibility of an academic school that has more than half a century of marvelous contributions to the history of science and knowledge. The School of Public Health not only has been the health education center of Iran, but also has a very prominent position in the history of higher education in our country.
During the past decades, as the result of the sacred Islamic Republic of Iran and with the ceaseless dedication of the scientific society of the country, we have witnessed significant progresses in various fields, especially in healthcare. The experiences in medical education, production of scientific articles and utilization of advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques have been in an accelerating trend in our country. Many communicable diseases have been controlled or are in the process of being controlled. The quality of life has improved, life expectancy dramatically increased and mortality rate significantly decreased.
Despite several remarkable achievements, the contemporary society is facing new challenges that required considerable attention and solutions. These new threats include non-communicable diseases (such as cancers, cardiovascular, diabetes and etc.), accidents, emerging and reemerging diseases, environmental hazards, unhealthy lifestyles, inequity in healthcare services and inequality health system outcome indices. These challenges are within the scope of healthcare. However, each of these threats requires a complex multidimensional solutions and cooperation within and among sectors at national and regional levels.
The School of Public Health, with its extensive and strong infrastructure, has diversified public health field of studies that utilizes reputable professors with an extensive academic and administrative experiences. Furthermore, the school runs numerous research centers and referral laboratories throughout the country. The School of Public Health had extraordinary records of several decades of relentless activities at national, regional and international levels. The active and continuous cooperation of the school with the Ministry of Health, National Health Research Institute and the WHO has been playing a prominent role in solving the public health problems of the country through improvements in the provision of quality education and research services, in analyzing the healthcare system policies, monitoring health indices and establishing continuous and effective communication with influential local and international organizations and institutes.
In summary, the successes of this vitally important field has been related to the execution of its comprehensive plans and policies through the constant coordination and collaboration of the school’s staffs, especially the faculty members. I hereby warmly appreciate and welcome the efforts and contributions of all our colleagues. Honest service in our sacred Islamic Republic, in the field of public health, especially to the deprived and the poor, is of a great blessing. Dear students and respected academic staff, may Allah Almighty grant each and any of us the dedication and the scientific knowledge to work with and serve the people who are in need of our expertise.
Dr. Kazem Nadafi
Dean of School of Public Health
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
