How Prioritized is the Smart Governance of Health Data of Immigrants and Foreign Nationals in the Country?

Authors

  • Seyed Aria Nejadghaderi HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Samira Emadi Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Ghulam Raza Mohammadyan Knowledge Hub for Migrant and Refugee Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Niloufar Bahrampour Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Hamid Sharifi HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Roghayeh Ershad Sarabi Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Mohammad Sharif Razai Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
  • Majid Fasihi Harandi Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • AliAkbar Haghdoost Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18502/ijre.v22i1.22234

Keywords:

Health data management, Health information systems, Migrants, Refugees, Data integration

Abstract

The share of foreign nationals in Iran’s population is significant, and the country hosts approximately 6.8 million foreign migrants. However, for various reasons, a large portion of this population is less visible compared to the Iranian population, as their databases are incomplete, fragmented, inaccurate, and lack a regular and structured mechanism for updating data. This issue has created serious challenges in providing healthcare services to this large population. The consequences are not limited to foreign nationals, as diseases within this group can easily spread to the Iranian population as well. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures and immediate actions to manage their data effectively in order to optimize resource management, enhance security and equity in the provision of healthcare services, and support the delivery of broader services to migrants.

Published

2026-08-05

Issue

Volume (22) issue (1)

Section

Articles