Farrokh Habibzadeh, PIHO chief research coordinator, referred to the significance of research in achieving public welfare and independence, saying: "Thinking, research and innovation are the most basic need for achieving genuine progress, development and independence."
"Promoting research and encouraging researchers and scientists to carry out research activities needed in the country are among the most important ways of achieving self-sufficiency," he said.
Habibzadeh noted that people's awareness of the activities of PIHO with regard to services it provides stands at a low level.
"Many people are unaware of the importance of activities carried out by PIHO and one of major reasons for such unawareness is the nature of health. One could express a company's production in figures, but it would not be easy to speak about the level of healthcare services in figures and numbers," he said. "Therefore, calculating the productivity of a body like PIHO and comparing its performance with manufacturing companies or other providers of healthcare services would not be easy."
Habibzadeh, who is chief editor of IJOEM, referred to progress in education and research activities in recent years within PIHO, saying: "For instance, after this unit (education and research) was established at the Fars Province of PIHO in July 2000, education activities at this center reached such a level that its members are now invited to many prestigious universities and scientific institutes for teaching."
"In the wake of successful holding of several workshops on research methodology, article writing and statistical survey in different areas covered by PIHO, the awareness and capability of the PIHO staff in research have increased, leading to several research projects and even a wide research project in which 11 centers were involved for the first time at the level of PIHO. The findings of this research project were published in an international magazine," he said. "Due to good performance of the education and research unit of the Fars Province branch of PIHO, the PIHO Directorate decided to assign the task of research coordination and steering to this unit since late 2014. And the first step taken by this unit was to devise a major research project based on collective wisdom to determine the research priorities of PIHO."
Habibzadeh said: "After several consecutive meetings and consultation with more than 60 thinkers within the Organization, it was decided to conduct a study in six centers based on DALY (disability-adjusted life year) index."
"In order to convert the issue of health to a quantitative index, huge efforts were made until several years ago the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the DALY index which is a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death," he added.
Habibzadeh said: "The findings of the aforesaid research project were very significant and indicate that the PIHO activities have ended in the annual health production equivalent to 120,000 years of healthy life in the population covered by the Organization. The results have been sent to international magazines to be printed."
He said: "Among other important measures by this section has been the printing of the quarterly International Journal of Occupation and Environmental Health Magazine. Given remarks by the Supreme Leader regarding production of science and his insistence on research, the idea of establishment of a worldwide scientific magazine in medical sciences was developed."
"From the very beginning, all affairs related to this magazine were expected to be handled at PIHO given the existing potentialities and capabilities. Fortunately so far, no aid has been received from other centers for the executive and scientific affairs pertaining to the printing of this magazine. Furthermore, the IJOEM office has become a center for consultation on medical journalism in regional countries," he added. "Recently, a medical magazine printed by one of the most prestigious universities of medical sciences in Tehran demanded assistance from the experts of this center in order to enhance its job. This proposal is under review."
Habibzadeh said: "The IJOEM has been indexed in the ISI. All articles printed in this magazine, since the first issue, are also available in MEDLINE. This magazine is the only and the first petroleum industry magazine which introduces PIHO to the world like a business card."