“This three-day conference aims at sharing international experiences on mass gathering (MG) and its healthcare implications in order to get a better understanding in the light of latest developments,” said Dr. Khalid Al-Marghalani, spokesman for the Ministry of Health and head of the conference’s media committee.
“The conference also aims to share with the world the rich and long Saudi experience in managing mass gatherings such as Umrah and Haj, and explore potentials of enhancing and improving our knowledge by learning from those experiences using the input of high profile participations of international and national healthcare officials and experts,” he added.
International participants will include health ministers from the US, Germany, Lebanon, Yemen and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries; Dr. Margaret Chan, the director general of the World Health Organization; the secretary-generals of the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Arab League, the GCC and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the US.
Local participants include officials from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Haj, the Ministry of Municipality and Rural Affairs, the Makkah Region Governorate, the Saudi Red Crescent, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Center for Haj Research.
Al-Marghalani said that major topics to be discussed include: Implications of international health regulations on MG management for disease control, the Haj as a model for MG medicine, global health and MG, health services and delivery during MGs and emergencies, communicable diseases during MGs, the multidisciplinary nature of MG legacy, injury and environmental health during MGs, and information technology and research priorities during MGs.
