Innovative Medicine in Iran and Israel: Comparative Analysis

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel are the major competitors in the Middle East. This article introduces a comparative analysis of innovative medicine and healthcare in these countries, which can be of practical importance for the domestic healthcare authorities. The research covered the most advanced areas of innovative medicine and involved such methods as traditional text analysis, comparative method, and statistical analysis. The material included official governmental programs on innovative development and statistical data on innovative practices. Iran demonstrates a slightly weaker medical and healthcare investment situation than Israel. The investment in Iran’s healthcare system comes mainly from the state: in 2016, it initiated a comprehensive plan to upgrade the ageing infrastructure and improve its efficiency by promoting private investments. Iran faces much more serious economic and political obstacles than Israel, which is at the forefront of robotic medicine and is one of the most influential players in the sphere of digital health in the Middle East. However, Iran has managed to improve its position in global rankings, even without the support of Western countries. Although Iran’s situation in the field of innovative medicine is not comparable to that of Israel, the dynamics and the volume of efforts involved suggest that Iran is likely to become competitive in this sphere in the coming decades.