The Importance of Addressing Climate Change in Reassessing the Role of Basij in Health Provision and Promotion in Southeastern Iran

Background and Aim: Sistan and Baluchestan Province, the largest province in southeastern Iran, despite its strategic geographic location and predominantly young population, faces substantial disparities in development, infrastructure, and health indicators compared with national averages. This study aimed to analyze the health status of the province, identify the major healthcare challenges, and examine the effects of social determinants of health and climate change on health conditions and service delivery.
Methods: This study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical review of official reports, documentary evidence, and available research related to health and development in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Secondary data were obtained from reports of the Hamdelan Ayandehnegar Foundation of Sistan and Baluchestan (HASB), the Ministry of Health, and other relevant institutions. Health indicators, healthcare infrastructure, and the provincial health service network were analyzed, with particular attention to disparities from national averages and the impact of broader social and environmental determinants.
Results: The findings indicate that health and development indicators in Sistan and Baluchestan are significantly lower than the national average. Life expectancy in the province is estimated to be approximately 7 years lower than the national mean, reflecting a considerable burden of health inequality and structural deprivation. Major healthcare challenges include high mortality and disability due to traffic accidents, communicable diseases, malnutrition, and population-related issues such as migration, addiction, and genetic and familial disorders. In addition, major deficiencies were identified in healthcare infrastructure, including shortages of more than 400 health houses, nearly 100 comprehensive health centers, and insufficient hospital space and bed capacity, particularly in the southern parts of the province. The findings also suggest that social determinants of health and climate-related factors, especially water scarcity, drought, intense rainfall, flooding, soil erosion, and desertification, play an important role in aggravating underdevelopment and health inequalities in the region.
Conclusion: Improving health status and reducing inequalities in Sistan and Baluchestan require urgent expansion of healthcare infrastructure, completion of the health service network, accelerated construction and equipping of health and hospital facilities, and implementation of intersectoral interventions addressing water management, flood prevention, watershed management, and environmental degradation. Integrated policy measures targeting both healthcare system deficiencies and broader social and climatic determinants are essential for sustainable health improvement in the province.