The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has commended the successful efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represented by the Ministry of Health during the Hajj season in 1440H, without reporting a single public health event or disease outbreak among pilgrims. In a statement, the organization expressed its sincere thanks and deep appreciation to all heroes and health care volunteers for their dedication to providing health care services to more than 2.5 million pilgrims. WHO added that this led the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, to develop a tool for early health warning system. WHO pointed out that the health authorities in the Kingdom and within the framework of the early health warning system issues daily updates on the situation, which reflects their strong commitment to transparency. A team of the organization visited health centers and hospitals in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat and learned about the work done on the ground, the statement said, noting that the field visit proved that the early warning system is in place and functioning well. He explained that the organization cooperated with the health authorities in the Kingdom in assessing the availability of health care services in health facilities in the Holy Places using the standard tools of the organization and that the results of this evaluation would be useful in further strengthening services and meeting the needs of pilgrims. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that the Kingdom was well prepared to prevent and respond to the risks associated with human populations such as heat diseases and food poisoning. The high level of preparedness has contributed to reducing the number of cases to the lowest level. There have been no major health issues among pilgrims this season. WHO commended the high level of coordination and cooperation among all sectors in the Kingdom throughout the Hajj season, where this collaborative multisectoral approach was evident in the field.
