Designing a Model of Administration Structure for Iranian Women's Health Development

Women's health status and awareness of their biological, mental and social characteristics and needs in planning, health system reforms and primaiy health care, are the main priorities in strategic areas of health development. In the past two decades researchers and policymakers have paid special attention to women's health development activities and administration. This article compares the women's health development administration in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Japan as developed countries, with focus on their organizational structures. This article is based on a descriptive and comparative study. The results have been used to design and develop an appropriate and applicable model for women's health administration in Iran. The designed model has been finalized by using Delphi Technique. The countries were divided in two categories. United States and Canada had a focused and advanced administration system in their women's health activities. They have strategic planning in women's health priority issues and special organizational structures which relatively has been successful. United Kingdom and Japan used different policies focused on the mother and children's health and their administrative policies were based on this view. An appropriate structural designed model for women' health in Iran was formulated based on results of this study.