Epidemiological Transition in Iran: The Rise and Fall of Epidemics in Iran After Islam to Before the Islamic Revolution

Background and aims: The lack of reliable data on mortality in Iran until the last few decades hascaused the early stages of the epidemiological transition to remain unknown. As such, the currentstudy was an attempt to examine the stages and timing of the epidemiological transition in Iran in ahistorical effort.Methods: This study is descriptive-analytical, and its data and information have been collected usingthe library method.Results: The historical course of the emergence of epidemics in Iran after Islam to before the IslamicRevolution is divided into four periods: (۱) The period after Islam to the Safavid period (۶۵۰-۱۵۰۱AD): The era of plague and famine, (۲) Safavid to Qajar period (۱۵۰۱-۱۷۹۶ AD): The era of continuedwidespread outbreaks and intermittent occurrence of plague, (۳) Qajar period (۱۷۹۶-۱۹۲۵ AD): Theera of subsidence of the plague and widespread cholera, and finally (۴) Pahlavi period (۱۹۲۵-۱۹۷۹AD): The era of the decline of epidemic diseases.Conclusion: The continuous and substantial reduction in deaths led simultaneously to a reduction inthe incidence and scope of epidemics and an increase in chronic diseases, and this process is expectedto accelerate in the future.

Keywords:

Epidemic disease , Plague , Cholera , Population growth