What is a Mass Gathering?

Mass gathering is a large number of persons (usually >1000) at a specific location for a specific purpose (usually) for a defined period of time.

An event, (organised or unplanned) is a MG if the numbers attending are sufficient to strain the planning and response resources of the community, state or nation hosting the event.

Is a refugee camp effectively a MG?

Mass gatherings are a stress test for public health. Crowds, and the infrastructures that support them, can be an ideal setting for outbreaks of disease ( Dr Margaret Chan, Former Director-General of WHO )

Types of Mass Gathering

• Spontaneous: e.g. Riots

• Planned:

One-off events: e.g. Jubilee party, River pagent

Recurrent events different locations: e.g. Olympics, World Cup

Recurrent event same location: e.g. Hajj, Wimbledon

Event

Two meanings dependent on context.

1.A type of MG, such as:

• An organized occasion – social function, sports competition; political, religious or cultural gathering.

• A series of individual sports competitions conducted together under one ruling body (e.g. the Olympic Games).

• An individual sports contest – part of a larger sports occasion such as the Olympic Games.

2.A manifestation of disease or an occurrence that creates a potential for disease (International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005).

Preparation for a large MG

Generally requires:

• substantial investment, capacity building, infrastructure development
• institutional adaptation
• SOPs for potential threats
• advance testing of plans, procedures, systems and personnel
• extensive training
  

These can be difficult to achieve in resource poor settings

• Cost of London Olympics was ca. $18 billion
• Annual govt expenditure in Sierra Leone <$600 million

Need to alter/develop public health and other sectors depends largely on:

• number of participants
• perceived risk(s) or threat(s)
• resources available to support the needs of the participants and the identified health concerns

Other factors

• Pressure on infrastructure: hotels, food caterers, public health system

• International attention: Media

• Security/terrorist threats