When Borders Become Barriers to Treatment: How Digital Health and Telemedicine Can Serve as a Bridge to Achieving Universal Health Coverage for Migrants in Iran

Abstract

Iran hosts a population of millions of migrants and refugees, mainly from Afghanistan, who face serious barriers in accessing health services. Given the large number of foreign nationals, limited international resources, especially support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the economic vulnerability of this group, financial resources are insufficient to provide adequate services. On the other hand, health and medical needs including communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, and mental health are on the rise. This imbalance between resources and needs makes the design of a new service delivery model inevitable. As part of the digital revolution, smart health and telemedicine can reduce geographical, cultural, and financial inequalities and shift the healthcare system's approach from treatment-oriented to prevention-oriented. Under such circumstances, utilizing new digital and remote health models is not a choice, but rather the only realistic path to providing broader, higher-quality, and more cost-effective services. This article, by examining the benefits, challenges, and practical recommendations, demonstrates that targeted investment in migrant-centered technologies not only strengthens universal health coverage but also creates economic opportunities such as exporting digital health services to Afghanistan and transforms Iran into a regional smart health hub.