In a post on his X account late on Thursday, Esmaeil Baghaei wrote, “The Lancet, a world-leading medical journal has warned that damage to Pasteur Institute of Iran, as the result of US-Israeli attacks, threatens regional health security.”
“According to The Lancet, ‘The Pasteur Institute of Iran has been a pillar of the country’s public health system for more than a century. This institute has provided key public health infrastructure on multiple fronts, including vaccine development and production, national reference laboratory services, diagnostics, and genomic surveillance for infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, cholera, rabies, measles, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and viral hepatitis. The loss of the institute is not merely symbolic; it represents a real, immediate, and dangerous threat to public health. [...] This is not solely a national issue; regional health security is also at risk’,” Baghaei noted.
In March 2026, the Pasteur Institute of Iran sustained considerable damage from airstrikes, representing a severe threat to public health infrastructure... he stressed.
“The American-Israeli deliberate attack on the Pasteur Institute of Iran was a flagrant war crime. The perpetrators must be held accountable,” he stated.
This prestigious medical institute has played a key and important role in production and development of vaccines, reference laboratory services, disease diagnosis and monitoring of infectious and contagious diseases, including COVID-19, cholera, rabies, measles, tuberculosis, AIDS and viral hepatitis. Damage to this institute is not just a symbolic loss, but a serious and immediate threat to public health. This issue is not limited to Iran and could affect public health throughout the region, Baghaei emphasized.
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