Under the Patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, may Allah protect him, the Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine at the Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with Al-Faisal University, is organizing the 3rd International Conference on Mass Gatherings Medicine under the theme: «From Mass Gatherings Medicine to Mass Gatherings Health: Evolving Perceptions and Practices». The three-day conference will be held on Monday, October 23rd, 2017 (corresponding to Safar 3rd, 1438H) in Riyadh.
According to MOH, the conference attracts considerable participation by an elite of experts and scientists from various local, national and international organizations and institutions. The event offers an opportunity to explore the Kingdom’s unique experience during Hajj season; in terms of managing more than three million pilgrims within a limited area and an a tight time frame, thus setting a good example. Likewise, The conference features global experts and specialists in foreign and international organizations, to share expertise, and to develop health programs in this vital area.
The conference is designed to present both scientific and practical experiences, and how they have been dealt with in similar circumstances; to boost the effectiveness of health measures, which are taken to deal with mass gatherings. Besides, the conference will discuss a number of human mass gatherings health and management-related topics, including basic concepts on human gatherings, risk management, education and capacity building in the field of mass gatherings health and management, to build and enhance the institutional and practical capacities in this field.
It is noteworthy that the Global Center for Mass Gatherings Medicine is a national WHO collaborating center for mass gatherings health and management. It is one of five international centers specialized in mass gatherings health and management. Furthermore, the Kingdom is a leading reference in the this field, for having distinguished expertise lauded by many international health organizations.
Also, this conference coincides with the approval of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to adopt the topic of public health a policy and priority in all laws and regulations for disease control and prevention; to reduce the burden of morbidity, the matter which reflects the wise leadership’s keenness and interest in citizens’ health and providing them with health care.