Medicine shortages grow in Iran as US tightens sanctions, blockade
Many Iranians cannot access or afford life-saving drugs, but authorities say pharmaceutical sector will not collapse.
Tehran, Iran – Farah, a 59-year-old resident of Iran’s capital Tehran, used to fill her autoimmune prescription with a Swiss-made drug. Now she takes the Iranian-made version and worries that, too, may soon be in short supply.
“I switched to the Iranian-made version because of the price and availability,” she told Al Jazeera, giving only her first name. “You might not find the foreign-made version later, and you can’t keep switching because they don’t have the same quality and effectiveness.”
Iranian news outlets have reported growing shortages of medicine for cancer and other serious illnesses amid a crisis in Iran’s pharmaceutical sector, as the United States leans on military pressure, sanctions and a naval blockade to squeeze Iranians.
Farahani said databases and server sites, as well as numerous specialised equipment bought over 26 years of operation, were destroyed as a result of the Israeli air strikes. She estimated that partial rebuilding would require at least two years and tens of millions of dollars. In the meantime, she said, the company’s researchers are working to preserve institutional knowledge that was lost when its data was destroyed.