Community-Based Initiatives (CBI) is a national initiative focused on social, economic
and community development, with health sector as lead
CBI includes programs like Healthy City Program (HCP), Healthy Village Program (HVP)
and Basic Development Needs (BDN). CBI aims at achieving a better quality of life
through integrated socio-economic development and addresses all the determinants of
health collectively through community empowerment and intersectoral actions. WHO’s
Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMR) is prompting the member states to
adopt these programs. Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) started its Healthy City Program in
1991 and soon extended the program to the villages (HVP). BDN approach began in
2000.
In 2005, WHO country office sponsored a CBI evaluation study. An intersectoral team
carried out the evaluation over 12 different program areas. The methods and results of
the evaluation were validated by an external team of experts and the final report
released in 2006.