Nazari Maryam, Haghjou Leila, Rashidian Hamideh, Zendehdel Kazem, Bahmanziari Najmeh, Haghjoo Ali, Shamsi Aziz, Mounesan Leila
Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Public Health; Center for Academic and Health Policy (CAHP), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Knowledge Utilization Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Mar 11;25(1):361. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12501-6.
Due to political and security concerns, Iran has faced stringent sanctions in recent decades, significantly impacting vulnerable cancer patients. According to the latest statistics, the 5-year prevalent cases in Iran were 357,906 for both sexes combined. This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of cancer patients, their families, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) regarding the ramifications of economic sanctions on cancer diagnosis and treatment.
This qualitative study was conducted by semi-structured interviews with 21 cancer patients and their family members, as well as representatives from relevant NGOs based in Tehran in 2020. The interviewees were selected using convenience sampling, and the data were classified and analyzed using qualitative content analysis in MAXQDA-2019 software.
The effects of economic sanctions on cancer patients were categorized into four themes: medicines, medical equipment, human resources, and financial resources. Medicines were further categorized into medicine price changes, scarcity, the complexity of dispensing medication, profiteering of drug manufacturers and distributors, and prolonged medical treatment subthemes. Medical equipment included price changes and difficulties in procuring medical devices and their accessories. Human resources comprised inadequate access to specialists and distorted doctor-patient relationships. Finally, financial resources were delineated by the diminished purchasing power of individuals and insufficient support extended to NGOs catering to patients' needs.
The findings underscore the urgency of addressing the multifaceted consequences of sanctions, which exacerbate vulnerabilities among cancer patients and hinder their access to timely and adequate care. Collaborative efforts between policymakers, healthcare providers, and NGOs are essential to mitigate these challenges and ensure equitable access to cancer treatment amidst ongoing sanctions. Furthermore, global health diplomacy could help reduce the effects of economic sanctions and facilitate the provision of medical equipment, medicines, and financial resources.
由于政治和安全方面的担忧，伊朗在近几十年面临着严厉制裁，这对脆弱的癌症患者产生了重大影响。根据最新统计数据，伊朗男女合计的5年患病率为357,906例。本研究旨在调查癌症患者、其家属以及非政府组织（NGO）对经济制裁对癌症诊断和治疗影响的看法。
这项定性研究于2020年通过对21名癌症患者及其家属以及德黑兰相关非政府组织的代表进行半结构化访谈来开展。受访者采用便利抽样法选取，数据在MAXQDA - 2019软件中使用定性内容分析法进行分类和分析。
经济制裁对癌症患者的影响分为四个主题：药品、医疗设备、人力资源和财政资源。药品进一步细分为药品价格变化、短缺、配药复杂性、药品制造商和经销商的暴利行为以及延长治疗等子主题。医疗设备包括价格变化以及采购医疗设备及其配件的困难。人力资源包括难以获得专科医生服务以及医患关系扭曲。最后，财政资源表现为个人购买力下降以及为满足患者需求的非政府组织获得的支持不足。
研究结果强调了应对制裁多方面后果的紧迫性，这些后果加剧了癌症患者的脆弱性，并阻碍他们获得及时和充分的治疗。政策制定者、医疗服务提供者和非政府组织之间的合作努力对于缓解这些挑战以及在持续制裁期间确保公平获得癌症治疗至关重要。此外，全球卫生外交有助于减少经济制裁的影响，并促进医疗设备、药品和财政资源的提供。
