Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched ‘Safe Healthy Haj’ awareness campaign to outline health instructions and precautions for Haj pilgrims, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
The initiative has been developed in cooperation with the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, and Dubai Health Authority, in coordination with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments and local endowment departments in each emirate.
It aims to educate Haj pilgrims about important health guidelines and requirements to ensure their safety during their journey.
This initiative comes as part of an integrated strategy coordinated by various state institutions to take care of the welfare of pilgrims travelling to Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
From establishing hotlines to address questions related to the health of pilgrims, to contacting the medical teams that will accompany the campaigns, the MoHAP is making every effort to provide health and awareness services to pilgrims to ensure that they are able to perform their rituals in a safe and healthy environment.
The medical team has the necessary medicines and is available for medical consultations.
“The health of pilgrims is a priority and special attention is paid to ensuring the health and safety of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic diseases,” Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Public Health Sector said.
“The campaign will advise prospective pilgrims on pre-Haj health measures, including the importance of health center visits before travel, particularly for those with chronic illnesses,” he added.
Pilgrims also need to ensure that they take basic and booster vaccinations such as meningitis, seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations.
The campaign will also provide guidance on preventive health measures during Haj, such as how to avoid heat exhaustion and physical stress and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet.
Moreover, a specialized medical team will be deployed by the authority in cooperation with the MoHAP at Dubai International Airport to provide pilgrims with basic support, including advice, consultations, medical examinations and other necessary assistance.
