According to a letter published in Correspondence section of The Lancet, Following the airstrikes in the spring of this year, the Pasteur Institute of Iran, with a history of over a century, has suffered severe damage. This institute has played a key role in vaccine production, disease diagnosis, genomic surveillance, and response to pandemics such as COVID-19, cholera, rabies, hepatitis, and AIDS. Prior to this, years of sanctions had already weakened Iran's health system. During the coronavirus pandemic, restrictions resulting from sanctions hindered access to genomic surveillance equipment. Now, the destruction of Iran's Pasteur Institute goes beyond a temporary disruption; it has inflicted damage on a fundamental public health institution. The authors of the article call upon the international health community to provide comprehensive support for the full restoration of the institute's laboratory, diagnostic, surveillance, and vaccine production capabilities, emphasizing that this is not only a national issue but also a serious threat to the health security of the entire region.

Source: The Lancet; Vol. 470: Correspondence: Doctopic: Analysis and Interpretation

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00804-4/fulltext

Authors: Mahmoud Reza Pourkarim, Mohammad Barzegar, Philippe Lemey, Simon Dellicour, Marc Van Ranst