A specialized workshop on the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) program, as part of the national initiative to enhance the country’s preparedness against public health threats, was held on July 15, 2025, at the Pasteur Institute of Iran.

The workshop was attended by Dr. Syed Jaffar Hussain, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative and Head of Mission in Iran, Dr. Alireza Biglari, the Director General of International Affairs and Dr. Ghobad Moradi, the Head of the Center for Communicable Disease Management  from the Ministry of health. Moreover, representatives from relevant ministries involved in the program, members of the central committee, officials from the seventeen subcommittees, as well as managers, experts, and stakeholders from various sectors of the health system were also present.

At the opening of the workshop, Dr. Ehsan Mostafavi, the Director General of the Pasteur Institute of Iran welcomed the participants and highlighted the strategic importance of the JEE program in strengthening International Health Regulations (IHR) and national health security. He emphasized the necessity of inter-sectoral coordination in preparing the required documentation. Next, Dr. Ghobad Moradi, the Head of the Center for Communicable Disease Management at the Ministry of Health discussed Iran’s health profile in the global and regional context and the importance of countries' adherence to the IHR 2005. He elaborated on the benefits of conducting the JEE, noting its positive impact on enhancing Iran’s health emergency response capabilities and improving inter-sectoral coordination. Dr. Moradi warned that failure to implement this assessment could weaken Iran’s international standing and reduce its ability to effectively intervene during health crises. He outlined the Ministry of Health’s expectations from all involved institutions and called for a coordinated action plan to successfully achieve this national mission.

Dr. Syed Jaffar Hussain, the WHO Country Representative and Head of Mission in Iran, expressed appreciation for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s efforts in strengthening health threat preparedness and highlighted the country’s technical and inter-sectoral capacities to successfully conduct the JEE. He stated: "The Islamic Republic of Iran, with its scientific infrastructure, specialized workforce, and well-coordinated structure among relevant institutions, has significant potential to serve as a regional model for a thorough and exemplary JEE implementation."

Additionally, Dr. Mohammad Al-Hakimi, an expert from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), who participated virtually, presented on assessment capacities, reporting procedures, electronic form completion, subcommittee meetings, and inter-sectoral collaboration. Dr. Al-Hakimi listed enhanced inter-sectoral engagement, development of a national action plan, and increased transparency to attract financial resources as key benefits of the program.

Other speakers, including Dr. Fahimeh Bagheri-Amiri, Dr. Mostafa Salehi-Vaziri, Dr. Peyman Hamati, and Dr. Mohammad Hossein Fallah Mehr-Abadi, provided an overview of the IHR and its objectives. They discussed topics such as:

• The role of technical and research institutions in supporting successful JEE implementation.
• The advantages of the program, including fostering collaboration with other organizations, strengthening inter-sectoral communication, and securing WHO grants in various assessed areas.
• The upcoming evaluation process in the following months.

The session concluded with a Q&A segment to address participants' questions and concerns.