Makkah : The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Institute of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Haj and Umrah Research, Umm Al-Qura University have jointly collaborated with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney and the Australian National Center for Research on AIDS and epidemiological surveillance to initiate a research project for the prevention of infectious respiratory diseases during the Haj and Umrah seasons.
The project has gained importance owing to the widespread occurrence of influenza during these seasons in the Kingdom owing to the multitudes of people living in close proximity to each other. Dr. Osama Barashid from Umm Al-Qura University and one of the supervisors of the project said that more than two hundred researchers, doctors, students of medical colleges, male and female were participating in this project. Barashid said work on the project began with the beginning of the influx of pilgrims to Mina this year. “The team of researchers and doctors visited the pilgrims in their tents in Mina and followed up on their health status daily until their departure from the Kingdom,” he said.
He added that the research aims to study the main causes for the spread of respiratory infections among pilgrims in the Haj season in order to protect them from health hazards. One of the most prevalent health problems among the pilgrims is infectious and respiratory illnesses that may cause some complications and other health problems. Since prevention is better than cure, researchers are keen to study possible ways to prevent the respiratory diseases and infections from spreading. Barashid said the project is under the supervision of an elite group of doctors and researchers from Saudi Arabia and Australia including Professor Robert Boy, Professor Tariq Madani, Dr. Haroon Rashid, Dr. Mohammed bin Hasan Alfilali, Dr. Atif bin Husain Asgar and himself.
He hoped that the participation of experts in this research would yield positive results and help in the prevention of respiratory illnesses among the pilgrims besides reducing the rates of infectious cases so pilgrims can enjoy better health during the pilgrimage. He also said that the results of this research will have a significant impact on the health of pilgrims in the coming Haj and Umrah seasons. “We extend our thanks to all those who have contributed to this project and the support of government agencies, academic researchers and researchers to promote pilgrims’ health,” he said adding that it was a great honor to serve the guests of God.