Iranian household financial protection against catastrophic health care expenditures

Protecting households against financial risks is one of objectives of any health system. In this regard, Iran's fourth five year developmental plan act in its 90th article, articulated decreasing household's exposure to catastrophic health expenditure to one percent. Hence, this study aimed to measure percentage of Iranian households exposed to catastrophic health expenditures and to explore its determinants. The present descriptive- analytical study was carried out retrospectively. Households whose financial contributions to the health system exceeded 40% of disposable income were considered as exposed to catastrophic healthcare expenditures. Influential factors on catastrophic healthcare expenditures were examined by logistic regression and chi-square test. Of 39,088 households, 80 were excluded due to absence of food expenditures. 2.8% of households were exposed to catastrophic health expenditures. Influential factors on catastrophic healthcare were utilizing ambulatory, hospital, and drug addiction cessation services as well as consuming pharmaceuticals. Socioeconomics characteristics such as health insurance coverage, household size, and economic status were other determinants of exposure to catastrophic healthcare expenditures. Iranian health system has not achieved the objective of reducing catastrophic healthcare expenditure to one percent. Inefficient health insurance coverage, different fee schedules practiced by private and public providers, failure of referral system are considered as probable barriers toward decreasing households' exposure to catastrophic healthcare expenditures

Investigation of environmental health condition and safety of schools in kerman in 2007

There is a vast variety of environmental health condition factors influencing students' health status such as the quality and quantity of drinking fountains, toilets, potable water condition, removing sewage system, garbage management, safety, sport grounds arid green area. Lack of information about the conditions of these factors may leave devastating and irreparable effects on the health condition of society. Regarding the important role of school environmental conditions in promoting the health level in society, this research was conducted in Kerman in 1386 to have an overall investigation of school health condition and school agronomy. This is a descriptive, cross- sectional research. The sample included 257 students of primary, secondary, high school and pre-university in Kerman. The data were collected by census.The checklist was cmpleted by going to schools, observations and interviews with practitioners. Later the collected data were analyzed with SPSS software. Of the schools, 68% were state-run whereas 32% were non- profitable schools. In 55.7% of primary and secondary schools the required area per student had been observed while it hadnot been observed in 86% of high schools and technical schools.The estimated green area per student is 0.5 m2 but had not been observed in 67.4% schools. 53.1% schools had no health service room. 89.9% of schools had healthy potable water. In only 66.3% of schools each toilet was provided for 40 students. In 95.96% of schools sewage removing system was hygienic. 76% of schools had hygienic dust bin among which 90.2% followed the standard time lag of empting and washing the dust bins. 76% of schools observed the article No. 13 of school legislation for nutritious, cosmetic and hygienic materials in schools buffet. In 92.6% of schools, there was a proportion between benches and students height. 80% of school took advantage of sunlight. It seems that during the last 13 years, the health and safety conditions of schools have developed and improved and, generally speaking, 80% of the schools had made use ed light perfectly