Journal of

Background and Aim: When there is a big difference among income groups in a society, public health and healthcare costs may be affected through multiple channels. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of inequality and poverty (and other socio-economic characteristics of communities) on public health indicators and the structure of cost payments. 
Materials and Methods: The present applied descriptive study has been conducted in 34 countries of the world (in terms of having regular data about income inequality) during 1995-2012 using a panel data approach. Eviews 9 software was used to estimate the models. The estimates were done in separate models for health indices and the related costs.
Results: Income inequality and poverty on the one hand reduce public health, and on the other hand increase people’s share of healthcare payments. Besides, the level of education promotes the community’s public health and reduces direct out-of-pocket and private payments. However, population density in large cities leads to the increase of private health expenditure and direct out-of-pocket payments.
Conclusion: On the path of economic development, we should pay special attention to income inequality among the members of society. Following inequality and higher relative poverty, mental and emotional problems deepen in society, and the health of individuals is seriously damaged. Byweakening the efficient management of health sector, this issue increases the individuals’ direct out-of-pocket payments and, therefore, doubly deteriorates public health.

Background and Aim: Conditions, advantages and limitations of professional ethics have not been discussed. The present study aimed to determine the framework, dimensions and requirements of professional ethics in selected countries in order to review their experiences.
Materials and Methods: The present study was comparatively conducted in 2017. Considering inclusion criteria in designing study including purposeful and specified activity in terms of professional ethics, five countries of United Kingdom, Malaysia, Japan, Turkey and United States of America achieved the conditions to enter the study. For data analysis, comparative tables were used which included dimensional comparison obtained from professional ethics development study in the selected countries. 
Results: Medical and nursing associations and headquarters units in Ministries of Health, prepare appropriate utilization of professional ethics principles. Using temporary or permanent and regular committees in line units, also includes other characteristics of attention to the professional ethics concept in the selected countries. In Malaysia and Japan, professional ethics is taught in different courses and majors. 
Conclusion: Applying professional ethics concept requires information transparency and factors such as education, organizational structure set up and their establishments and institutionalizing must should be discussed more and to be localized on the basis of the countries situations.

Background and Aim: Many health policies are not implemented or incompletely implemented after approval. This issue significantly reduces the popularity and responsiveness of the top managers of the health system and leads to service disruption in the target community. Therefore, this study was conducted to explain the existing challenges in the implementation of health policies.
Materials and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in 2021. The participants in the study were 20 scientific and executive experts. The data was collected using an interview guide and the in-depth individual interview method and was analyzed using the content analysis method using thematic analysis with Graneheim and Lundman's approach.
Results: The challenges include the policies formulation (lack of evidence-informed decision-making, lack of attention to the details of the implementation, the change of the initial text of the policy, conflict of interests, unclarity the executives, the lack of proper integration between the political and technical components of the policies, the weak participation of the main stakeholders, the lack of the same understanding of policies concept between policy makers and executives and lack of budget forecasting), challenges of policies implementation (uncertainty about roles of executive organizations, lack of executive attachment, conflict of interest,  lack of project management, change of formulated policies with change of executives, little belief among executives, lack of executive guarantee, lack of operational plan) and challenges of policies evaluation (Inadequate supervision and the absence of an informational and supervisory dashboard).
Conclusion: Using effective solutions to solve the challenges extracted in the stages of formulation, implementation and evaluation of health policies can lead to achieving the goals of the formulated policies and improving the health of the society.