Challenges of the National Program of Health Volunteers in Iran

Background and Objective: One of the fundamental points of primary health care (PHC) is the principle of social participation, which the program of health volunteers is one of its successful samples. Considering the significant role of health volunteers in promoting social health, the present study was conducted to determine the challenges of the national program of health volunteers in Iran as an example of a lower middle-income country. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was carried out among public health authorities healthy volunteers at the national level. For this purpose, 42 interviews were performed in a semi-structured manner with healthy volunteers nationwide. In order to data analysis, MAXQDA 10 software was used. Results: Based on the results of the content analysis test, 349 primary codes were revealed. By considering the integration and overlapping of the codes, 4 main challenges (Coordination, Participation, Structure, and Motivation), as well as fourteen sub-themes, were obtained. Conclusion: According to the results of the research, interaction and participation were important principles of development and the participation of other sectors should get along with the participation of the people. Also, the biggest issue in the program of health volunteers can be associated with its credibility.