Document Type : Review article
Authors
1 Associate Professor of Health Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor of Medical Bacteriology, Leishmaniasis Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
3 Associate Professor of Health Economics, Department of Public Health, School of Health, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
Abstract
Background and Objective: Despite claiming to focus on government structures, economic sanctions have in practice widespread and sometimes catastrophic effects on public health and access to medicine and medical equipment in target countries. This review article aims to analyze the consequences of sanctions, especially in the context of crises such as war, pandemics, or geopolitical tensions.
Materials and Methods: This study followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines for systematic reviews. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and SID for studies published between 2010 and 2025, focusing on studies about Iran and other countries affected by sanctions. A total of 1,023 records were identified. After removing duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, 35 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Based on predefined inclusion (direct relevance to sanctions and health, peer-reviewed, full-text available) and exclusion criteria (non-scientific reports, letters, and non-empirical papers), 13 high-quality studies were included in the final synthesis.
Results: Sanctions have led to shortages of vital medicines, deterioration of medical equipment, and reduced quality of health services through banking restrictions, increased import costs, reduced international interactions, and disruptions in the supply chain. In countries such as Iran, Syria, Yemen and Venezuela, this situation has been exacerbated during periods of crisis, with consequences such as increased mortality, health inequalities and psychological and social harm. Iran’s experience shows that even systems with domestic production capacity are vulnerable to widespread and complex sanctions.
Conclusion: Strengthening domestic capabilities, designing resilient strategies, facilitating humanitarian channels and systematically documenting the humanitarian consequences of sanctions seem essential to reduce harm.
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Main Subjects
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