David jaslow, md, mph, arthur yancey ii, md, mph and andy milsten. Mass gatherings and local capacity are affected by the timing of an event. Until recently, individuals planning such support have had little reliable information to assist them in determining what specific personnel and equipment are necessary to optimally support a mass gathering. A mass gathering is defined as a group of more than people present. Many of the variables that affect the level and types of medical needs, have not.
In response to the current global health event, the world health organization who declared covid19 a pandemic. This years conference main theme is model of healthcare for mass gatherings. While youre doing that, i will be searching for another mass gathering of red sox fans, because i am not quite done celebrating. The series covered the planning and surveillance systems used to monitor public health risks, public health threats, and experiences of healthcare providers. What is the evidence for mass gatherings during global.
A mass gathering can be defined as any occasion that attracts sufficient people to strain the planning and resources of the community, city, or nation hosting the event. A 3year experience of indian hajj medical mission in massgathering medicine. This new version builds on the expertize gained across the global mass gathering mg community since this was published. Massgathering health is a young and rapidly evolving discipline with ties to emergency medicine, disaster medicine, and public health. In july, 2012, we discussed plans to move the complex public health issues surrounding mass gatherings into a formal scientific discipline, and to create a global network for mass gatherings research, training, and capacity development. State emergency declarations relative to mass gatherings current as of april 24, 2020, 7. The academic consortium on emergency medical service and.
Our objectives were to examine patterns of variation in sexual assault associated with mass gatherings and to determine factors associated with assaults occurring at mass gatherings. Kumbh mela in india and hajj, the annual muslim pilgrimage to mecca, saudi arabia are mass gathering events with local, national and global public health issues. A mass gathering is a planned or spontaneous event with a large number of people in attendance that could strain the planning and response resources of the community hosting the event, such as a concert, festival, conference, or sporting event. Characteristics associated with sexual assaults at mass. Pdf mass gathering events are associated with major public health challenges. It has also been expanded to cover more than communicable diseases and includes new areas such as legacy, environmental health and different contexts. The global center for mass gathering medicine is organizing its 4th international conference for mass gathering medicine under the auspices of his majesty the custodian of the two holy mosques king salman bin abdul aziz al saud. Mass gatherings of people at religious pilgrimages and sporting. There are some important articles in the literature on mass participation sporting events and mass gathering medicine. The massgathering medicine market represents a huge opportunity for companies looking to target a highly under served but immensely valuable market segment. Mass gatherings present a historic challenge in protecting the health and safety of attendees. Massgatherings events provide a difficult setting for which to plan an appropriate emergency medical response.
Reducing risks to health and wellbeing at mass gatherings. We are a group of health care professionals in emergency medicine, mass gathering medicine, and disaster. Mass gatherings northwest center for public health practice. Mass gathering medicine is a field of medicine which deals with health effectsrisks of mass gatherings, that generate a higher incidence of injury and illness, may be the subject to a catastrophic accident or attack with large numbers of injured or dead persons such factors as the weather, duration of the event, movement of the crowd, containment of the event fencedcontained or not. Social identity and health at mass gatherings hopkins. Medical directors have become experienced in mass gathering medicine. Our account shows i how social identity analyses can enrich mass gathering medicine and ii how social identity analyses of health can be enriched by examining mass gatherings. Mass gatherings medicine saudi society of emergency medicine. Mass gatherings emerging both for specific occasions and spontaneously, are naturally.
Mass gatherings allow susceptible populations to a high exposure to varied communicable. Download here for updated objectivebased criteria for medical and first respond staffs at venues in massgathering events recommended by the consortium version 2 ac2020. Onsite medical care, resuscitation increasingly important at mass gathering events. Discuss your itinerary and any planned activities with your provider so that he or she can make customized recommendations to ensure a healthy and. Saudi arabia strengthened realtime hajj surveillance and set up a reporting system and emergency operations center to monitor pilgrim safety and infectious disease events. The canadian literature in this area is particularly thin. A group dedicated to the unique nature of mass gathering events. Includes expert guidelines, research reports, conference proceedings, training classes, fact sheets, websites, databases, and more. The world health organization plans to set up an accredited center for mass gathering medicine within the kingdoms ministry of health moh, a senior official from the ministry.
Mass gatherings, emergency preparedness, and best practice. Mass gathering mg events2 pose considerable public health challenges to health authorities and. This chapter describes mass gathering medicine and specific recommendations for travelers who will be attending mass gatherings. Mass gathering medicine simple english wikipedia, the. Travel to mass gatherings chapter 9 2020 yellow book. The concept of mass gatherings medicine and the practice of medicine in mass gatherings are not new, with numerous literature published in the last decades addressing the issue of medical care in mass gatherings. Hmc is the principal public healthcare provider in the state of qatar, delivering the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to each and every one of our patients. In addition, the growing need for research that can. This innovative resource centre will include travel medicine and infectious diseasepapers that address all aspects of mass gathering medicine that focus on travel and infection. Mass gathering events and reducing further global spread. Mass gathering mg events2 pose considerable public health challenges to health authorities and governments. Reviewing evidence from across a range of mass gatherings, we offer a conceptual analysis of such mixed effects.
The coronavirus disease 2019 covid19 pandemic1 presents countries with major political, scientific, and public health challenges. A mass gathering requires the coordination of a vast array of orga nizations, agencies, services, and. This document has been produced to promote the safety and welfare of all citizens by controlling the spread of the h1n1 virus. Understand the activities involved at the mass gathering. Mass gatherings and sporting events during a pandemic pdf to download. Mass gathering medicine summit 2019 global biodefense.
Gatherings of more than five people are prohibited. Healthcare providers should familiarize themselves with the specific t. Mass gatherings at sporting 1, 2 and religious events attract huge crowds, creating highrisk conditions for the rapid spread of infectious diseases. If you are like me and want to learn more, check out this series in the lancet and on the site for the world health organization who collaborating centre for mass gatherings medicine. Mass gathering medicine interest group, vancouver, bc. The searches below find resources from two national library of medicine databases. Mass gathering medicine is a new field of medicine that focuses on the health risks of mass gatherings.
Weather, heavy tourism, and other factors can affect the ability of a host to organize a safe mass gathering. A mass gathering is an organized or unplanned event where the. International mass gatherings have been shown to facilitate the spread of infectious disease. Europe pmc is a service of the europe pmc funders group, in partnership with the european bioinformatics institute. Mass gathering medicine u of a chapter home facebook. Widespread, nonstop, and often sensational coverage of the coronavirus covid19 has caught many governments flatfooted in efforts to protect the health and safety of their citizens. Introduction sexual assault is disturbingly common, yet little is known about those occurring at mass gatherings, defined as a group of people congregated for a common purpose. Mass gatherings and sporting events during a pandemic pdf to.
However, compared to areas like cardiology or cancer, the number of rigorous studies on this unique branch of prehospital and emergency medicine are miniscule. A predictive model for patient presentation and transport rates. Mass gathering medicine is a field of medicine that explores the health effectsrisks of mass gatherings and the strategies that contribute positively to effective health services delivery during these events. Adding a psychological dimension to mass gatherings medicine.
As the number of spectators attending the olympic games has steadily increased, the scope of olympic medicine has expanded beyond just caring for athletes. The reason for the development of the field of medicine gives the fact that mass gatherings generate a higher. The ministry of health wishes to advise the public that the guidelines for mass gatherings during a pandemic have been released. Reducing the health risks of mass gatherings and seizing the opportunities for. Mass gathering events are associated with major public health challenges. Centre for evidencebased medicine, nuffield department of primary care. Mass gathering medical planning australasian journal of.
Physicians are increasingly called upon to provide medical support for mass gatherings such as concerts, sporting events, political conventions, and other special events. Mass gathering medicine, also known as event medicine, crowd medicine or mass gathering health, is a field of medicine that explores the health effectsrisks of mass gatherings and the strategies that contribute positively to effective health services delivery during these events. Click here to download the guidelines for mass gathering during a pandemic adobe pdf, 256kb. The world health organization through its department of global alert and response supports member states hosting mass gatherings and regularly receives a large number of requests for technical support by countries organizing large mass. In this issue of jama, 2 articles focus on the measures taken to ensure the health of the estimated 2. The term mass gathering refers to a variety of different events including music festivals, concerts, state fairs. Mass gathering medicine is a field of medicine that explores the health effectsrisks of mass gatherings and the strategies that contribute positively to effective health services delivery during these events the reason for the development of the field of medicine gives the fact that mass gatherings generate a higher incidence of injury and illness, may be the subject to a catastrophic.
Global center for mass gathering medicine, riyadh 2020. It includes content provided to the pmc international archive by participating publishers. Mass gathering medicine represents one of the most publicized cross section of public health industry professionals and decision makers. Who to set up center for mass gathering medicine in. Download here for the japanese society of intensive care medicine jsicm guidance of preparation and response in intensive care unit for disaster. The 20002001 meningococcal meningitis outbreak after the hajj pilgrimage illustrated this threat of infectious diseases on global health security. The 2014 lancet series on the new discipline of mass gatherings medicine was launched at the world health assembly of ministers of health in geneva in may, 2014.
Mass gathering medical care refers to the provision of medical services to organized events or venues with relatively large numbers of people in a defined geographic area. Mass gathering medical care refers to the provision of medical services to organized events or venues with. What is the evidence for mass gatherings during global pandemics. Pandemic preparedness and reducing risk of global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 sarscov2 are key concerns. Ministry of health releases guidelines for mass gatherings. In 2009, when the h1n1 influenza pandemic coincided with the hajj, saudi arabia convened stakeholders to create a discipline called mass gathering medicine. All non critical retail businesses must cease inperson operations. Mass gatherings and travel medicine essential travel. Consult with your doctor or a travel medicine provider at least a month before your trip to allow time to receive vaccinations, medicines, and advice that you may need.