Describing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Efforts in Controlling Foodborne Illnesses During Hajj Seasons

Abstract

Background and purpose: This study is describing the Efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in controlling foodborne illnesses during Hajj seasons (2013-2017). Foodborne pathogens are considered a public health concern worldwide. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the global burden of foodborne diseases shows almost 1 in 10 people fall ill, and 420 000 die every year from eating contaminated food in 2015. In Saudi Arabia, the rapid socio-economic development and urbanization during the last 30 years have contributed in a major way to the dissemination of foodborne pathogens. Foodborne outbreaks increase especially during the summer months and Hajj season. Saudi Arabia has an effective food safety system that includes laws, regulations, and circulars used for the investigation of foodborne illnesses. According to the literature, gastrointestinal illness is ranked as the 5th number for causing health burden and hospital admissions during Hajj. All the authority related to food safety was reviewed and relevant information were elaborated. Further studies are needed to identify the most sources and risk factors that cause foodborne illnesses as well as describing the efforts of health authorities in Hajj and this study was conducted to spotlight some of these needs. Methodology: This is a retrospective literature review study. I reviewed two sources of information. The first source is data describe the numbers, the source of incidences and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, and the type of pathogens that cause these illnesses were obtained from the Ministry of Health (MOH). The second source is from reviewing the literature regarding this topic. The data was entered and analyzed by Statistical Package of Social Science SPSS, version 26. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were calculated to summarize nominal and ordinal data. Results: About half of the outbreaks (10 outbreaks) were reported in 2017 alone. The most common source of foodborne illness during these Hajj seasons was food contractors who provided food to the Hajj campaigns (45%). The common risk factor associated with foodborne outbreaks was poor storage of dietary materials (40%). According to the relation between temperatures and foodborne outbreaks, there is a temporal increase of average maximum temperatures during the Hajj season from 2013 to 2017. All foodborne outbreaks are originated from a bacterial source. Conclusion: The food safety control system during Hajj is just a result of the huge efforts of the Kingdom divided on multisector through the years. Despite these efforts, there are still some challenges and opportunities for improvement.