Iran’s New Yasna Subsidy Plan: A Targeted Boost for Maternal and Infant Health
Iran’s Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare has unveiled the details of the new “Yasna” plan, a significant government subsidy program designed to support family health, with a specific focus on pregnant and nursing mothers.
Aim and Implementation
The primary goal of the Yasna initiative is to enhance the food security of mothers and their infants under two years of age. The subsidy is allocated as a non-cash credit, deposited directly onto the household head’s “Goods and Services Card” (کالابرگ). This credit is specifically earmarked for the purchase of 16 essential food and hygiene items, which have been selected based on expert nutritional guidance to establish a healthy dietary pattern for families.
Targeted Eligibility and Automatic Enrollment
A key feature of the plan is its targeted approach. Eligibility is automatically determined through a collaborative process between the Ministry of Health, which identifies pregnant women through its national network of health houses and urban/rural health centers, and the Ministry of Cooperatives, which conducts income decile analysis.
Only mothers falling within income deciles one through seven (the seven lowest income brackets) will benefit from this support. Mothers in deciles 8, 9, and 10 are excluded from the program. Furthermore, priority within the eligible group is given to mothers with nursing infants to ensure they receive greater nutritional support during the critical lactation period.
Government Commentary and Funding
Ms. Zahra Qayoumi, Director General of the Support and Empowerment Office at the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare, emphasized the program’s structure. “Identification of pregnant mothers is done through the Ministry of Health, and after income decile analysis, only mothers in deciles one to seven are covered,” she stated.
She also highlighted the importance of consistent and timely funding from relevant bodies, particularly the National Population Headquarters, for the plan’s success. In the initial phase of the plan’s rollout, a credit of 1.5 million tomans was allocated to each eligible mother for charging their food and hygiene basket, which included provisions for items such as diapers.
How to Check Eligibility
Families can check their status and credit balance for the Yasna plan through several official channels:
- Government portals such as
my.gov.irandhemayat.mcls.gov.ir. - The “Shama” (شما) application.
- By dialing the USSD code
*1463*500#and entering the national code of the household head.
While the program operates within certain financial constraints, analysts suggest it holds significant potential to improve the health of pregnant mothers and young children, provided its funding remains stable and disbursements are made regularly.