JEDDAH: The Minister of Health opened the Global Forum on Mass Gathering Medicine Saturday with a speech on behalf of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, highlighting the Kingdom's experience in hosting the Haj pilgrimage, a “hugely important event” gathering a “mass of people from over 160 nations”. “We sought to hold this conference, the first of its kind in the world, to discuss mass gathering medicine with specialist organizations bringing lessons from experience not only to pilgrims, but also to all mass gatherings,” Abdullah Al-Rabeah said. “It has been made possible with the cooperation of scientists from across the world serving humanity everywhere, regardless of religion, color or race.” The three-day event will hear from some 30 international specialists in the field, with Saudi Arabia's contribution coming in the form of vast experience in the annual pilgrimage. “The Kingdom's priority is the health of pilgrims, and the Ministry of Health has opened hospitals and health centers of the highest standards to serve the needs of guests during this period,” Abdullah Al-Rabeah said. “For that reason we call upon scientists here to develop a new medical concept that cares for mass gatherings, to be launched from the land of humanity and revelation, Saudi Arabia.” British medical journal and co-organizer of the event The Lancet, described mass gathering medicine as “complex” and involving “considerable challenges in areas such as water and sanitation management, environmental health, travel medicine and vaccination strategies”. “Among global mass gatherings, the Haj pilgrimage is the largest, most frequent, most diverse, and most well-studied,” The Lancet said. “Saudi Arabia has specialist expertise in the management of mass gatherings.” Al-Rabeah said that works in the two holy cities are based on the strictest standards to ward against the threats constituted by gatherings of large numbers of people. “Such large numbers of pilgrims performing their rituals together at the Holy Mosque or Jamarat Bridge have led us to carry out extensive expansion works to enable Haj and Umrah pilgrims to perform them with ease,” he said. “The patronage of the King shows the commitment of the leadership to the safety of pilgrims. The Haj season is an example of these large gatherings and Saudi Arabia has had considerable success in the organization of the movement of some two million pilgrims every year. This vast number of people is controlled in a small area, which really makes the Saudi experience an example to follow.” The minister said he was optimistic that the conference would produce recommendations for improvements to health measures related to the medicine of mass gatherings. “Many international experts and epidemic disease consultants will share their ideas and knowledge of mass gatherings throughout the world, as well as Saudi Arabia's experience in organizing vast numbers of people during Haj.” Forum participants from abroad include health ministers from the US, Germany, Lebanon, and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the director general of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, and the secretary generals of the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Arab League, GCC and the US-based Center for Disease Control. The Minister of Culture and Information, Abdul Aziz Khoja, and Fuad Al-Farsy, Minister of Haj, were also in attendance with the minister of health. “It is truly an honor for Saudi Arabia that this vital conference is being held in Jeddah, in the land of humanity, during the days leading up to the great Haj season,” Al
