Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has raised alarm over repeated attacks on healthcare infrastructure in Iran, particularly in the capital, Tehran, as the Middle East conflict intensifies.
In a statement, the World Health Organisation chief said multiple health facilities have been hit in recent days, including the Pasteur Institute of Iran, which sustained heavy damage and is no longer able to provide services. Established in 1920, the institute has long played a key role in medical research and public health, with two of its departments previously collaborating with the World Health Organisation.
Other facilities affected include the Delaram Sina Psychiatric Hospital, damaged in a March 29 strike, and the Tofigh Daru pharmaceutical facility, which produces medicines for cancer and multiple sclerosis and was hit on March 31. No casualties were reported in these incidents.
However, since March 1, the WHO has verified more than 20 attacks on healthcare sites across Iran, resulting in at least nine deaths, including an infectious diseases worker and a member of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
Beyond Tehran, an explosion near Imam Ali Hospital on March 21 forced the evacuation of the facility and halted services.
Tedros warned that the ongoing conflict is severely disrupting healthcare delivery and endangering patients, medical staff and civilians. Stressing the urgency of de-escalation, he said, “Peace is the best medicine.”
