Baghdad: The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Iraq, Jamila Al-Raabi, affirmed on Saturday the organization's continued support for the Iraqi Ministry of Health and its partners to enhance health preparedness during the Arba'een pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).
According to Iraqi News Agency, Al-Raabi stated, "The organization's support comes within the framework of the ongoing partnership with the Ministry of Health to strengthen the health system's capacity to prepare for and respond to the health needs imposed by large gatherings of people, thus ensuring the protection of the health of pilgrims, healthcare workers, and host communities."
She added that the organization provides technical support in the areas of planning and preparedness, enhancing epidemiological surveillance and early disease detection, strengthening emergency response systems, as well as supporting coordination among health authorities and building the capacity of personnel through training in mass casualty management and health emergency response.
Al-Raabi noted that the World Health Organization operates according to the One Health approach, which promotes integration among the human health, environment, veterinary medicine, and other relevant sectors to reduce health risks associated with zoonotic diseases and environmental factors.
She further explained that the organization continues its cooperation with the Karbala Health Department, the local government, and the holy shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas to support health planning and preparedness, risk management, and the promotion of health messages and community awareness. This contributes to providing a safer environment for pilgrims during the Arba'een pilgrimage, which is one of the largest annual human gatherings in the world, attracting millions of pilgrims from inside and outside Iraq.
The organization supported communication efforts regarding health risks by developing evidence-based awareness messages and coordinating awareness campaigns. More than 300 volunteers were trained this year to participate in health awareness activities during the Arba'een pilgrimage, disseminating preventive messages related to food and water safety, prevention of communicable diseases, and protection from heat stress.
Additionally, the organization provided a specialized program to build the capacities of media professionals and media institutions regarding responsible coverage of health issues during large human gatherings, and effective communication mechanisms regarding risks and the transfer of accurate health information based on evidence. The World Health Organization has supported, during the past months, the implementation of specialized training for health workers in the areas of mass casualty management, emergency response, and enhancing the readiness of rapid response teams, as well as providing technical advice in the areas of public health, emergency management, and health planning.
Al-Raabi concluded by emphasizing that Iraq's continued investment in enhancing the health sector's readiness for human gatherings not only contributes to the success of the pilgrimage season but also strengthens national health security and the health system's ability to deal with various health emergencies. She noted that the cooperation between the Ministry of Health, the Karbala Health Department, the local government, the Holy Shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas, and other partners represents an integrated model of multi-sectoral work that the World Health Organization is committed to supporting to protect everyone's health.