Health Education and Promotion:

Health education is the first and most crucial component of primary health care services and one of the best tools necessary for community health. Its goal is to change and ensure healthy behaviors. Health education and promotion is a process with social, mental, and psychological dimensions, aimed at increasing people's ability to make informed decisions, thereby influencing individual, family, and community health. Therefore, planning is done to attract, assess the needs of, and educate health ambassadors and volunteers, implement self-care programs, hold health campaigns, and encourage public participation.

The programs of this unit are presented in four responsibilities:

·         Educational Responsibility

·         Communicative Responsibility

·         Informational Responsibility

·         Production Responsibility

Development of the Network and Health Promotion:

The Network Affairs Unit (Expansion), located at the central office of the Health Center, pursues the high goal of providing and promoting public health in cities and villages and increasing people's awareness and their access to better health services. This unit serves as a link between the support units and the technical health units and oversees the complete coverage of healthcare services. The primary duties of this unit include the development of physical space, provision of human resources, and equipping urban and rural healthcare centers, health bases, and health houses, as well as supporting these units in the mentioned aspects.

Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases

This involves examining the distribution pattern of common diseases in the province in terms of etiology, spatial, temporal, and human distribution, and the burden of diseases and their influencing factors. Through this, their epidemiological status is determined and defined within the framework of regional and area comparisons in terms of being sporadic, endemic, outbreak, and epidemic.

Overall Goal: Reducing risk factors and the burden of communicable diseases.

Specific Goals:

·         Enhancing the surveillance system for communicable diseases.

·         Reducing the prevalence and incidence of communicable diseases.

·         Reducing the morbidity and mortality due to communicable diseases.

·         Achieving high vaccination coverage in targeted immunization groups.

Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases

This includes examining different temporal and spatial situations and the programs announced by the relevant ministry regarding various non-communicable diseases under surveillance in terms of etiology, spatial, temporal, and human distribution, and especially the burden of diseases and their influencing factors. Intervention programs are designed and implemented by participating in the implementation of national programs based on national and provincial data and existing challenges.

Activities of the Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Group:

·         Examining the epidemiological status of diseases at the provincial and county levels and the province's position in the country.

·         Developing intervention programs based on the specific challenges of the province.

·         Monitoring, supervising, and evaluating disease control programs at the provincial level.

·         Facilitating the implementation of national programs developed for disease control.

·         Strengthening intra- and inter-sectoral cooperation in the implementation and promotion of programs.

·         Planning and collaborating in conducting public educational programs and training of staff.

·         Planning and conducting seminars and workshops.

·         Conducting or participating in research studies.

Family and Population Health Management

Family and Population Health Management is one of the largest managements of the Provincial Health Center, whose main duty is to reduce maternal and child mortality and provide essential care for newborns, children, adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and the elderly. This management is responsible for designing health interventions, regional policy-making, supervising the implementation of priority programs for vulnerable age groups and society (mothers, newborns, children, adolescents, middle-aged adults, and the elderly).

Programs of Family Health Management:

·         Newborn Health Program

·         Child Health Program (W.C.C, Mana, Promotion of Breastfeeding, Child Mortality Surveillance System for 1-59 months)

·         Middle-aged Adult Health Program

·         Elderly Health Program

·         Pregnant Mothers Health Program

·         Healthy Fertility and Population Affairs Program

Environmental Health

Environmental health is the control of environmental factors that affect human physical, mental, and social health.

Duties:

·         Monitoring and supervising the environmental health of food preparation and sale centers (urban-rural).

·         Monitoring and supervising public places (educational and training centers, religious sites, parks, and recreational areas in cities and villages).

·         Monitoring and supervising roadside facilities.

·         Monitoring and supervising hospitals and healthcare centers.

·         Monitoring and supervising water and sewage health and management of waste collection and disposal.

·         Monitoring and supervising the environmental health of villages.

·         Community-based initiatives (Healthy Village - Healthy City - Basic Needs of Local Community Development).

·         Monitoring and supervising radiation centers, monitoring and supervising poisons and chemicals.

·         Controlling insects and rodents.

·         Following up on health issues in provincial and county working groups and decisions made.

·         Following up on inter-sectoral cooperation programs and public participation.

·         Air health, environmental assessment.

·         Health attachment.

·         Handling complaints, correspondence, and follow-up actions (System 190).

·         Preparing and drafting research plans within practical committees.

School and Youth Health:

Mission: Health-oriented management in providing services to adolescents and youths to improve their quality of life with an emphasis on preventive actions consistent with community culture and appropriate to the target gender and comprehensive participation.

Target Group: Children and adolescents aged 5-18 and youths aged 18-30.

Main Goal: Enhancing the health level of adolescents, youths, school staff, and the families of adolescents by increasing health awareness, creating favorable attitudes, changing behavior, and facilitating access to health services, with the participation of adolescents, youths, school staff, and parents.

Oral and Dental Health:

This unit utilizes existing capabilities and facilities to enhance the level of oral and dental health of the community and implements the developed programs and plans at the environmental levels. Another important goal is to improve the oral and dental health of children and adolescents who are the main investments and future builders of the country.

Duties:

·         Drafting and proposing detailed health activity programs for oral and dental health and budgeting for them and following up on their execution.

·         Timely request of dental equipment and materials and following up on their provision.

·         Developing and implementing educational plans.

·         Participating in the implementation of national research plans.

·         Collecting data and statistics of county activities, analyzing them, and providing feedback to them and reporting to the ministry.

·         Collaborating and coordinating with the Welfare Organization and the General Directorate of Education and Health and Nutrition experts to implement educational programs and attract student and school staff participation and nursery schools parents to enhance oral and dental health.

·         Monitoring the proper implementation of the national oral and dental health program, especially for elementary school students (use of sodium fluoride mouthwash, fluoride therapy, and fissure sealant).

·         Providing preventive and therapeutic services to all age groups.

Nutrition Improvement

The mission of the Nutrition Improvement Group is to help improve food security and enhance the nutritional quality of all people in Iran by increasing physical and economic access, enhancing nutrition literacy and culture, and freeing from diseases through measures such as information and education, participation in the formulation of new policies in the field of food and nutrition in national and regional development programs, drafting bills and regulations, research and monitoring, and preventive and therapeutic actions.

Vision: Improving the quality of life and food security of the country's people by having nutritionally literate and motivated decision-makers who have the knowledge, skills, and will to choose suitable food alternatives and reduce nutritional problems, including undernutrition, overeating, and micronutrient deficiencies.

Occupational Health (Professional Health)

Occupational health is the science and art of preventing work-related diseases and promoting the health level of employed individuals through controlling harmful workplace factors. It is a combination of medical and engineering sciences.

Main Programs of the Unit:

·         Intensification and inspection plan of industries and workshops under coverage.

·         Workplace chemical hazards control plan (silica, asbestos, mercury, etc.).

·         Workplace physical hazards control plan (noise and vibration, thermal stress, ionizing and non-ionizing radiations, etc.).

·         Special occupations plan (farmers' health, mines health, carpet weavers' health, construction workshops, etc.).

·         Examining hard and harmful occupations and the program for controlling harmful ergonomic factors in the workplace.

·         In addition to implementing ongoing plans, inspecting departments, organizations, government prepayment offices, banks, fuel distribution stations, and others.

Psychosocial and Addiction Health Group

The management of psychosocial health and addiction based on the organizational mission and relevant goals in the diagnosis and care of common psychiatric disorders, the diagnosis and care of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use disorders, and the harm reduction program for drug use, reduction of social harms (suicide, child abuse, and domestic violence), public education on life skills, parenting, self-care, healthy adolescents through capacity building and directing health and treatment networks and services in urban and rural comprehensive service centers and health houses.

Pharmaceutical Affairs

The Pharmaceutical Affairs Unit is a part of the administrative divisions within the Health Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences. This unit is responsible for providing optimal and appropriate pharmaceutical services in all health and treatment centers and all units affiliated with the Health Vice-Chancellor. These activities range from policymaking in the provision of pharmaceutical services to the procurement, preparation, distribution, and supervision of medicines.

The primary goal of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Unit is to enhance the health and efficiency of health care networks through the supply and distribution of essential medicines and to improve the level of community health by ensuring proper and timely supervision over the procurement and distribution of safe and quality medicines. This mission is accomplished by regulating the pharmaceutical services provided in health and treatment centers, raising community awareness and culture in the field of medicine, and ensuring timely access to the required medicines.

Laboratory

This unit began its activities in the Health Vice-Chancellor in 2002. The mission of this unit is to oversee and monitor the personnel and medical diagnostic laboratories operating within the health domain.

Objectives:

-          Responding to the health system's programs and striving to enhance the quality of laboratory services in the public sector

-          Controlling and supervising the proper conduct of tests and quality control

-          Implementing the standards issued by the Ministry of Health in the health laboratories under its coverage

Risk Management, Disasters, and Accidents

The mission of this unit is to carry out activities that lead to efficient management in crises, unforeseen and human-made disasters, and reducing the vulnerability of health care centers, health care personnel, and the general public. The overall goal of the Crisis Management and Disaster Risk Reduction Unit is policymaking, planning, guiding, and monitoring necessary actions to reduce damage in the prevention phase and preparing for the necessary actions in the response phase and returning to normal conditions in the recovery phase of public health functions in managing and reducing the risks of natural and human-made disasters.

Statistics and IT

Mission and Objectives:

-          Establishing a centralized database at the level of the Health Vice-Chancellor

-          Analyzing and evaluating health indicators with the participation of relevant groups

-          Identifying health problems and prioritizing them with the cooperation of groups

-          Identifying and analyzing the population

-          Providing consultative opinions on designed systems to relevant authorities

-          Reviewing hardware purchase requests

-          Reviewing application software purchase requests

-          Providing opinions on systems and software programs

-          Designing executive processes related to the supply of hardware, software needs, and information technology networks

-          Forecasting necessary training regarding information technology and planning in this area

-          Planning for the maintenance and optimal use of facilities

-          Providing opinions on the contract for outsourcing hardware, software, network services, and other related contracts to the private sector

-          Monitoring the performance and services of the parties contracted with the Health Vice-Chancellor in the field of information technology

-          Managing the Health Vice-Chancellor’s website and updating information

Executive Vice-Chancellor's Domain (Executive and Support Units)

Job Description:

-          Supervising the proper execution of duties and all matters of the units under supervision

-          Issuing necessary instructions to coordinate with the head of the unit

-          Organizing related activities, division of work, and determining the responsibilities and limits of the responsibilities and powers of the units under supervision

-          Coordinating the affairs of the units under supervision with the policies, laws, and regulations set within the determined programs

-          Issuing orders for circulars, regulations, and rules for the implementation of the law

-          Controlling all matters of the units under supervision

-          Participating in various meetings and commissions

-          Planning for the implementation of the law and following up on its execution

-          Referring administrative letters to the employees working in the domain of public administration for action and to the higher authority for approval

-          Supervising the provision of needed goods and services

-          Reviewing, analyzing, and providing opinions on statistics and information presented by relevant departments