en COVID 19 Original Research Original Research <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><b>&nbsp;&nbsp;</b><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp; Background: </span></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">Health systems must have functional and efficient preparedness and response plans to manage pandemics. Moreover, it is essential to adjust to changing circumstances and the dynamic character of pandemics. The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP), emphasizing 144 measures across 10 pillars, helping governments prepare and respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to determine how the Iranian health system, based on the WHO&mdash;SPRP, addresses strategic preparedness and response plan in the COVID-19 pandemic at the national level. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Methods:</b> The WHO&ndash;SPRP was adopted and translated into Persian by 2 bilingual natives. The chief of the health office requested that authorized officers complete the SPRP. Then, a meeting was held by officers of related units involved in COVID-19 management to address the SPRP at regional and national levels.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Results:</b> Our findings suggest that up to August 2020, effective risk communication and community engagement were not fully established. Our response plan lacked evidence-based information and educational messaging to consistently shape public opinion and impression of a respiratory pandemic. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Conclusion:</b> The Iranian health care system and services were almost able to address the SPRP and perform the major indicators that the WHO had proposed.&nbsp; However, special attention should be paid to risk communication and community engagement to empower informed decision-making by individuals and communities.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Response Plan, Risk Communication, Coronavirus Disease 2019, Pandemic 1094 1098 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-7513-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Nima Azh nimaazh75@gmail.com 200319475328460074645 200319475328460074645 No School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Tayebeh Najafimoghadam Drnajafimoghadam@gmail.com 200319475328460074646 200319475328460074646 No Deputy of Healthcare, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Nogol Motamed-Gorji nogol_motamed96@yahoo.com 200319475328460074647 200319475328460074647 No School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Jalil Koohpayehzadeh Koohpayehzadeh.j@iums.ac.ir 200319475328460074648 200319475328460074648 No Department of Community Medicine, Preventive Medicine & Public Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohsen Asadi-Lari AsadiLari.M@iums.ac.ir 200319475328460074649 200319475328460074649 No Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Nader Tavakoli Tavakoli.N@iums.ac.ir 200319475328460074650 200319475328460074650 No Emergency Medicine Department, Trauma and Injury Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Seyed Mohsen Zahraei zahraeicdc@gmail.com 200319475328460074651 200319475328460074651 No Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran Massomeh Goshtae Goshtae.M@iums.ac.ir 200319475328460074652 200319475328460074652 No Deputy of Healthcare, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Babak Eshrati Eshrati.b@iums.ac.ir 200319475328460074653 200319475328460074653 No Center for Preventive Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Moghtadaei 200319475328460074654 200319475328460074654 No International Affairs Department, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Seyed Abbas Motevalian 200319475328460074655 200319475328460074655 No Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hamid Reza Baradaran Baradaran.HR@iums.ac.ir 200319475328460074656 200319475328460074656 Yes Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran