Iran's Ministry of Health: We Will Cover 85% of Infertility Treatment Costs

Mohammad Aghajani, the Deputy Minister of Treatment at Iran's Ministry of Health, announced that starting from Tuesday, September 9, the ministry will cover "85% of the government tariff costs for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility for two million couples." According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Aghajani stated that this coverage does not include "medication costs," but emphasized that "what troubled couples were the diagnostic and treatment services." The Deputy Minister of Health stressed that "this is a government tariff," meaning that "if couples visit a government or private center contracted with the university, this cost will be covered for them." This plan was initiated after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, repeatedly called for the implementation of policies to increase the country's population in recent years. Khamenei has emphasized several times that Iran has the capacity for a population of "at least 150 million." He initially criticized family planning and "population control" policies in 2012 and warned again in 2013 about the dangers of an aging population in Iran, stating that Iran should not be a country of 75 million but should aim for a population of 150 million. In a public meeting on August 2 of this year, he reiterated, "The country has many capacities... This 80 million population can indeed reach 150 million, and God willing, officials will help ensure that this young population, which fortunately exists today, does not diminish." The Islamic Consultative Assembly also approved the general principles of the "increasing fertility rate and preventing the decline of the country's population growth" plan in early July 2014, despite government opposition to many of its provisions, including penalties for doctors who assist women and men in preventing pregnancy.