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Background: During the 2019 Hajj, the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia implemented for the first time a health early warning system for rapid detection and response to health threats. Aims: This study aimed to describe the early warning findings at the Hajj to highlight the pattern of health risks and the potential benefits of the disease surveillance system. Method: Using syndromic surveillance and event-based surveillance data, the health early warning system generated automated alarms for public health events, triggered alerts for rapid epidemiological investigations and facilitated the monitoring of health events. 1 / 8 WHO EMRO | Implementing the Health Early Warning System based on syndromic and event-based surve Results: During the deployment period (4 July-31 August 2019), a total of 121 automated alarms were generated, of which 2 events (heat-related illnesses and injuries/trauma) were confirmed by the response teams. Conclusion: The surveillance system potentially improved the timeliness and situational awareness for health events, including non-infectious threats. In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, a health early warning system could enhance case detection and facilitate monitoring of the disease geographical spread and the effectiveness of control measures.

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Background:The King Abdel Aziz Camel Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aims to showcase the socio-cultural and economic roles of camels in the Middle East, and attracts visitors from many countries in the Region. Aims: Potentially, the gathering of large numbers of people and animals within a specified geographical area during the annual festival has important implications for public safety, health security and legacy. Thus, the Ministry of Health through the Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Saudi Arabia, conducted a health risk assessment for the 2017 Camel Festival. This paper summarizes the risk assessment process and highlights the findings and recommendations of the risk assessment. Methods: Using an all-hazard approach, the Jeddah tool (derived from the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office's health emergency risk assessment tool) was adapted to conduct the risk assessment. The tool stipulates that risk is directly proportional to the product of hazard magnitude and vulnerability and inversely related to capacity. Results: External causes of morbidity and mortality, such as fires and road traffic accidents, were categorized as high risk hazards. In contrast, brucellosis, foodborne diseases and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome were ranked moderate risk hazards. Rift Valley fever was ranked low risk hazard. Conclusions: The camel festival risk assessment highlights the need for an all-hazard approach to mass gatherings risk assessment. There is a need for multi-sectorial collaboration to strengthen the existing capacity, including disease surveillance.

A wide range of natural and man-made hazards increases the health risks at mass gatherings (MGs). Building on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (H-EDRM) framework to strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery from health emergencies in the communities and emergency-prone settings, such as MGs. The Jeddah tool is derived from the H-EDRM framework as an all-hazard MG risk assessment tool, which provides a benchmark for monitoring progress made in capacity strengthening over a given period for recurrent MGs. Additionally, it introduces a reputational risk assessment domain to complement vulnerability and capacity assessment matrixes. This paper describes the key elements of the Jeddah tool to improve the understanding of health risk assessment at MGs in the overarching contexts of health emergencies and disaster risk reduction, in line with international goals.

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