Mass gathering


Mass gatherings are events attended by a sufficient number of people to strain the planning and response resources of the host community, state/province, nation, or region where it is being held. Definitions of a mass gathering generally include the following:
  • Planned event
  • “a specified number of persons.
  • at a specific location, for a specific purpose for a defined period of time”.
  • Requires Multi-Agency Coordination
Mass gatherings are usually sporting events or religious pilgrimages. They are highly visible and in some cases, millions of people attend them.

Statistics

Here is some Statistics about the latest mass gatherings in the world:
2022:
July: Hajj in Mecca: 1 million
September: Arba'een Pilgrimage in Karbala: 21 million
2020-2021:
No more mass gathering due to COVID-19
2020:
January: Qasem Soleimani's funeral in Tehran: 7 million
2019:
January: Kumbh Mela in Allahabad: 14 million
February: Kumbh Mela in Allahabad: 50 million
August: Hajj in Mecca: 2.5 million
October: Arba'een Pilgrimage in Karbala: 18 million
Mass Gathering Medicine is a new field of medicine that focuses on the health risks of mass gatherings. 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 gatherings.