Alireza Marandi

Alireza Marandi (born 1939) is an Iranian politician, physician, and professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology at the Shahid Beheshti University.

He was also an associate professor at Wright State University before returning to Iran during the Revolutionary days.

Marandi is a former two-term Minister of Health (and Medical Education) during the premiership of Mir Hossein Mousavi as well as the second-term presidency of Mr. H. Rafsanjani.

Medical education was integrated with health care delivery during his nine years in office.

In each of the 29 provinces, one University of Medical Sciences was established, thus making the country self-sufficient in health and human resources.

In addition to being Minister, Dr. Marandi also served as Deputy Minister and Advisory to the Minister.

Marandi is Chairman of the Iranian Society of Neonatologists; the Board of Directors of the Islamic Republic of Iran Breastfeeding Promotion Society; and the National Committee for the Reduction of Perinatal Mortality and Morbidity.

He is also the laureate recipient of the United Nations Population Award (1999) and WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region's Shousha Award (2000).

He is currently a commissioner of the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health and a recognized expert on pediatric and neonatal health issues.

Of his major contributions was a highly successful national vaccination program (which also included a program for terminating polio in Iran), the significant reduction of infant and child mortality rates, as well as organizing one of the most successful national birth control programs in the World.

Marandi was elected as an MP from Tehran in the 2008 Iranian parliamentary elections.

Around 1,700 candidates were barred from running by the Guardian Council vetting body, the Supervisory and Executive Election Boards.

The Supreme Leader of Iran is among the patients he has attended in his private medical practice.

He is the father of Mohammad Marandi.