Public health considerations for mass gatherings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

@article{Alnsour2013PublicHC,
  title={Public health considerations for mass gatherings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.},
  author={Moawiah A. Alnsour and Aaron T. Fleischauer},
  journal={Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit},
  year={2013},
  volume={19 Suppl 2},
  pages={
          S42-7
        }
}
  • M. AlnsourA. Fleischauer
  • Published 2013
  • Medicine
  • Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de sante de la Mediterranee orientale = al-Majallah al-sihhiyah li-sharq al-mutawassit
This review describes major mass gatherings in the MENA region and the public health implications of these events, and provides recommendations for public health officials of the host country. Through our search of the literature for peer-reviewed publications, we identified relevant 77 papers; all were related to the annual Hajj. Using the information obtained from the literature review, the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) and the Centers for Disease Control and… 
View on PubMed
doi.org
16 Citations
Background Citations
5

Tables from this paper

16 Citations

Enhancing Surveillance for Mass Gatherings: The Role of Syndromic Surveillance

Enhanced surveillance for mass gatherings requires not only a thorough risk assessment to inform what health outcomes or exposures to prioritize but also adequate existing capacity to receive and analyze information rapidly, which typically involves accelerating the speed of disease reporting or electronic data transmission.

Real-Time Surveillance of Infectious Diseases and Other Health Conditions During Iraq’s Arbaeenia Mass Gathering: Cross-Sectional Study

The Arbaeenia mass gathering in 2016 exerted a high burden on the Iraqi health care system and efforts must be made both before and during the event to ensure preparedness, proper management, and control of different conditions.

Communicable diseases as health risks at mass gatherings other than Hajj: what is the evidence?

    P. GautretR. Steffen
    Medicine
    International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
  • 2016

Disease surveillance during a large religious mass gathering in India: The Prayagraj Kumbh 2019 experience

Risks threatening the health of people participating in mass gatherings: A systematic review

This systematic review investigated those health articles which studied MGs published after 2000 and classified the risks threatening the health of participants in MGs into the following five domains: environmental risks, individual risks, psychological risks, public health risks, and management risks.

Religious mass gatherings: connecting people and infectious agents.

    P. Gautret
    Medicine
    Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
  • 2015

Disease Burden on Health Facilities in Governorates South of Karbala During the Arbaeenia Mass Gathering in Iraq in 2014: Cross-Sectional Study

The Arbaeenia mass gathering causes a tremendous disease and economic burden on governorates that pilgrims pass through to attend this mass gathering in Karbala to ensure quality services during the event.

Lebanon's experience in surveillance of communicable diseases during a mass gathering: Sixth Francophone Games, 2009.

While pandemic A(H1N1)2009 did not interfere with the Games, it was essential to strengthen surveillance and to have timely epidemiological information.

Injuries Reported by Selected Health Facilities During the Arbaeenia Mass Gathering at Babel Governorate, Iraq, 2014: Retrospective Records Analysis

Most injuries observed during the Arbaeenia mass gathering in Babel Governorate in Iraq shows that most injuries were minor, unintentional, and nonfatal, and most people with injuries had limited access to ambulance transportation and did not require hospitalization.

Perceptions of, and Practices for Coping with, Heat Exposure among Male Arab Pilgrims to the Hajj, 1436

The extent of pilgrims’ understanding of, and abilities to cope with, excessive heat and also suggests coping strategies and options for improved understanding of heat-related health issues world-wide are revealed.

68 References

Health risks at the Hajj

Emergence of medicine for mass gatherings: lessons from the Hajj

The quest for public health security at Hajj: the WHO guidelines on communicable disease alert and response during mass gatherings.

Establishment of public health security in Saudi Arabia for the 2009 Hajj in response to pandemic influenza A H1N1

Common health hazards in French pilgrims during the Hajj of 2007: a prospective cohort study.

Health risks associated with the Hajj in the experience are much more related to crowding conditions than to travel, and the studies performed in Saudi specialized units probably overestimate the part of certain diseases within the spectrum of Hajj-associated diseases.

AN OUTBREAK OF FOODBORNE DIARRHEAL ILLNESS AMONG SOLDIERS IN MINA DURING HAJJ: THE ROLE OF CONSUMER FOOD HANDLING BEHAVIORS

This outbreak was most likely caused by eating contaminated rice served at lunch on 3rd January, and consuming food that was kept at an unsafe temperature wihout being reheated was the most probable important factor leading to this outbreak.

The Hajj: communicable and non-communicable health hazards and current guidance for pilgrims.

    Z. Memish
    Medicine, Education
    Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin
  • 2010
The Hajj 2010 starts in the first week of November 2010 and this report is a timely reminder that many infectious diseases can be avoided or avoided by adopting appropriate prophylactic measures.

Hazards of hepatitis at the Hajj.

Influenza a common viral infection among Hajj pilgrims: time for routine surveillance and vaccination.

A high incidence of influenza as a cause of upper respiratory tract infection among pilgrims is suggested, estimated to be 24,000 cases per Hajj season, excluding those becoming ill from contact with Hajj pilgrims returning home; and this indicates a very low vaccination rate for the influenza vaccine.

Epidemiology of heat illnesses during the Makkah Pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia.

    M. Khogali
    Medicine
    International journal of epidemiology
  • 1983
The conditions prevailing during the annual Makkah Pilgrimage are described as well as a review of the epidemiological and clinical findings observed by the author during the pilgrimages of 1980/81 when 176 cases and 467 cases of Heat Stroke were seen and treated respectively and a new physiological method of treatment of heat stroke was introduced.
...