The Public Health Physician and Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases at the US's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rima Khabbaz, said that the International Mass-Gathering Medicine Center, established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), will witness a bright future in the field of Mass Gathering Medicine worldwide.
In a press statement delivered on the sidelines of the 2nd International Conference for Mass Gathering Medicine, which is organized by the Saudi Arabia under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, May Allah protect him, Dr. Khabbaz said that the Conference is organized in a professional manner, as a result of the good selection of speakers and participants from the most important health centers concerned with the infectious diseases and mass gathering medicine. Dr. Khabbaz has lauded also the good selection of topics to be discussed.
Within the same vein, Dr. Khabbaz has commended the Kingdom's organization and hosting of the Conference, saying, “Although I hear of the Kingdom's excellence in the field of Mass Gathering Medicine, by virtue of my specialization, as well as the International Mass-Gathering Medicine Center, but it is the first time to visit the Kingdom to participate in such an important Conference, whose first session was held in Jeddah two years ago.”
Dr. Khabbaz highlighted that the Conference attracts such importance for being held in a time the gatherings became normal phenomena in different parts of the world, threatening the outbreak of diseases and epidemics if the world fails to predict such eventualities so early.
Also, Dr. Khabbaz has expressed her happiness over participating in the Conference, which witnesses an exchange of important information on the different subjects included in agenda of the Conference, including the International Mass-Gathering Medicine Center. In the same context, Dr. Khabbaz affirmed that the Conference is a good opportunity to overview the latest achievements in the field of Mass Gathering Medicine, considering it an important chance to bring specialists from around the world together to exchange information on this important field, and to review their experiences with the aim of benefiting each other.
In conclusion, Dr. Khabbaz added that the factor that pushed her to participate in the Conference is the desire to learn about the latest developments on the novel Coronavirus, which has gradually begun to emerge as a potential threat to public health.