The drastic increase in drug prices in Iran has left many cancer patients unable to afford essential treatments. Amidst growing public outcry, the Iranian regime prioritizes military and foreign interventions over addressing the healthcare crisis, exacerbating the situation.
The significant increase in drug prices in Iran has had a devastating effect on cancer medications, leaving many patients unable to afford life-saving treatments. Healthcare activists report that an increasing number of cancer patients are forced to abandon their treatments due to insufficient insurance coverage for essential drugs and the prohibitive costs of those that are only partially covered.
Dr. Soheil Rahimi, a physician in Iran, shared alarming stories during a psychology seminar, noting that some patients are so desperate they beg doctors to end their lives due to extreme financial hardships. Araseb Ahmadian, CEO of the Mahak Charity Foundation, highlighted the unbearable financial strain on families, particularly for children with cancer, whose treatment costs can exceed two billion tomans. Even families with basic and supplementary insurance struggle to cover these expenses, often leading to delays in treatment or a complete inability to access necessary medications, jeopardizing the health of children suffering from cancer. The surge in drug prices can be attributed to the government’s withdrawal of subsidies for many medications and a depreciation in the preferential exchange rate used for pharmaceuticals, causing costs to skyrocket overnight by 50% to 400%.
While government officials attribute these issues to Western sanctions and diminishing oil revenues, critics claim that the regime prioritizes funding for foreign militant groups, military projects, and its nuclear program over meeting the urgent healthcare needs of its population. Salamat News, an Iranian health-focused outlet, reported concerns regarding the affordability of modern treatments.
Innovations such as genetic therapies and immunotherapy, which are often more effective, are entering the country at free-market prices, substantially inflating costs. The slow processes of approval and insurance coverage for these treatments further contribute to the rising expenses. The situation has escalated to the point where some patients are resorting to selling their essential medications as a last resort for survival.
Reza Jabbari, deputy chairman of the parliamentary health commission, noted that the extreme financial despair faced by some individuals leads them to these desperate actions. The rising drug prices, coupled with widespread poverty, have resulted in a shocking increase in the cost of certain pharmaceutical products, some of which have seen price hikes of up to 200%.
Compounding these issues is declining domestic pharmaceutical production. Representatives from the Iranian pharmaceutical industry revealed that production fell by 16% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the previous year. Experts suggest that stabilizing the industry will require a liquidity increase of over 60%. However, ongoing economic mismanagement and currency imbalances have led to severe shortages and worsened the healthcare crisis.
A leaked letter from Mohammad Raeeszadeh, head of the Iranian Medical System Organization, highlighted the dire financial situation, revealing that private pharmacies are owed approximately 18 trillion tomans by the Subsidy Targeting Organization and other insurers. These unpaid debts have caused severe liquidity problems, contributing to the disruption of essential medicine supplies.
Amid this public outcry, the Iranian regime under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei continues to prioritize military expansion and foreign interventions. As poverty and inflation escalate, the healthcare crisis is expected to worsen without immediate intervention. The continued inaccessibility of life-saving medications threatens to push the most vulnerable citizens of Iran further into despair.
