The Scientific Group of Social Health is one of the academic divisions within the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This group has been established since 2014 (1393 in the solar Iranian calendar).

Its members come from diverse disciplines, including sociology, political science, law enforcement sciences, psychiatry, social medicine, clinical specialties, mental health psychology, social work, law, economics, and management. Prior to the beginning of each new year, this group formulates its annual operational plan based on the views of its members considering current and future needs (initial declaration issued by the Cultural Management ). This plan has been developed according to the five main functions of scientific and cultural groups. Among other groups, the performance evaluation of this group regarding the Strategic Plan of the Social Health Group during the years 2014 to 2019 (1393-1398) was published in the Academy's newsletter under the same title. The year 2025 (1404) will be as follows.

Vision:

• To be recognized as a national [and regional] advisory authority in the field of social health policy and a promoter of desirable social behaviors.

Strategic Objectives:

Strategic Objectives – Function One: Monitoring the Status of Social Health in the Country

• Annual report on social health surveillance and its determinants (disaggregated by province, taking internal heterogeneities into account, and including regional and international comparisons), with dissemination through multiple channels, including periodic policy briefs, especially targeted at senior officials.
• Proposing information gaps in the field of social health for production and dissemination by relevant authorities, and engaging in advocacy in this regard including the development of specific indicators by age and gender groups, as well as indicators related to social behaviors in the country.

Strategic Objectives – Function Two: Theorizing in the Field of Social Health in the Country

• Publication of the Encyclopedia of Social Health (in the Country) utilizing the potential of universities and scientific centers.
• Conducting foundational studies on social health from the perspective of Islam, along with systematic reviews and meta-analyses to obtain the latest findings.
• Acquiring of indigenous (native) theories on social health aligned with the culture and ecological context of Iran.
• Reviewing national and international research studies and published global reports, and incorporating them into national policies.
• Organization of an annual seminar or symposium entitled Theorizing in the Field of Social Health.
• Development and publication of at least one theory in the domain of social health promotion based on Iranian-Islamic teachings in reputable scientific journals.
• Development or localization of theories regarding public participation and intersectoral collaboration in national development.
• Identifying the root causes of the current state of social health.
• Analyzing undesirable social behaviors, and defining and promoting desirable social behaviors.

Strategic Objectives – Function Three: Influencing National Programs and Policies through Advocacy

• Efforts to establish a legal (statutory), rather than merely executive, guarantee for consulting and soliciting the Academy’s opinions on relevant matters.
• To lay the groundwork for leveraging the Academy, clarifying its roles and responsibilities at the societal level via mainstream broadcasting programs, thereby moving it from the margins into the mainstream of public discourse and supporting its specific mandates.
• Securing membership for the group or its members in bodies involved in social health policymaking through appropriate mechanisms (e.g., the Social Council, Parliamentary Research Center and relevant committees, the Judiciary’s Social Deputy, the Expediency Discernment Council, etc.).
• Authorization to hold formal scientific meetings with members of Parliament, representatives of the Supreme Leader in universities and institutions, the Judiciary, and Islamic seminaries, with attention to national security considerations.
• Publication of documentation concerning all subject matters outlined in the group’s annual plan.
• Establishment of a dedicated channel to influence social health, tailored to the target recipients.
• Targeted and exclusive advocacy for decision-makers concerning priority issues in social health.
• Provision of strategic consultations and evaluation of the five-year national program in the domain of social health, with the aim of substantiating its incorporation into the Seventh National Development Plan.

Strategic Objectives – Function Four: Engagement with the Public and Professionals

• Identification of stakeholders and experts relevant to the Social Health Group and operationalization of their participation mechanisms, including at the provincial level.
• Implementation of a calendar for effective presence in media, both direct (member participation) and indirect (application of group messages in media content creation), including national broadcasting (IRIB), news agencies, and virtual platforms.
• Activation of the group’s website with an emphasis on collecting and incorporating expert opinions in the field of social health.
• Continuous collaboration with the House of Public Participation at the national and provincial levels for the promotion of social health discourse.
• Engagement with national NGOs to ensure their involvement in implementing social health interventions and gaining awareness of their status and activities.

Strategic Objectives – Function Five: Recognition and Honor of Experts and Elites in the Field of Social Health directive for the identification and honoring of individuals active in the field of social health, incorporating the following mechanisms:

• Compilation of biographies or documentation of the scientific and practical achievements of distinguished individuals in the field.
• Definition of appropriate incentives.
• Organization of appreciation and commemoration ceremonies.
• Naming of streets, buildings, and other landmarks after them.
• Establishment of a national database of elites and experts in the domain of social health.
• Conveyance of their viewpoints to relevant authorities in order to influence existing policy directions.
• Membership in the Social Health Group, delivering lectures at meetings or symposia organized by the group, and publishing their academic articles and authored works.
• Annual organization of an Appreciation Ceremony for Social Health Activists and the establishment of a Social Health Award.
• Creating research opportunities for experts and specialists in the field of social health at the Academy.