Title: Iran Launches Enhanced Nutritional Support Program for Families, Announces New Electronic Benefit System
In a significant step to bolster public welfare, the Iranian Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare has officially inaugurated a new phase of its nutritional support scheme for eligible families, featuring increased financial benefits and an electronic voucher system.
Expanded Support for Child Nutrition
Ms. Zahra Ghayoumi, Director General of the Office of Supportive Affairs and Empowerment at the Ministry, announced the rollout of a comprehensive program designed to combat malnutrition among children. Effective at the start of the current Iranian month of Azar, the initiative specifically targets children aged 5 to 19 months from families under the ministry’s coverage.
This national program is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and the Plan and Budget Organization, operating through an electronic voucher, or “good card,” system. The health of enrolled children will be meticulously monitored through urban and rural health centers, with tracking of height and Body Mass Index (BMI) to ensure the program’s effectiveness.
Program Growth and Increased Financial Allocation
The scheme, which began in the Iranian year 1402, has seen substantial growth in both scope and funding. Initially, it covered 136,000 children from 131,000 households who received a food basket containing 16 essential items.
In the following year (1403), the number of beneficiaries rose to 134,000 children from 130,000 families. The monthly support amount was set at 1.1 million Tomans for income deciles one to five and 660,000 Tomans for deciles six and seven.
For the current year (1404), the program has expanded its reach significantly, now covering twice the number of children. Furthermore, the subsidy has been increased by 20 percent, bringing the total support to 1.3 million Tomans per eligible child.
Streamlined Access and Complementary Initiatives
Starting this month, covered families can access their benefits by visiting contracted stores equipped with the electronic “good card” system to procure their required food items.
In a complementary move, the “Yasna” program, designed to support breastfeeding children and pregnant mothers, has also been launched. This allows mothers to benefit from the provisions of this parallel support initiative, creating a more holistic family welfare framework.