The World Health Organisation has released new guidance to help governments and event organisers prevent and manage heat-related illnesses at major sporting, religious and cultural gatherings.
The organisation said on Wednesday in a statement that the guidance followed evidence showing that most heat-related illnesses at mass gatherings could be prevented or treated on site when timely risk assessment, preparedness and response measures were in place.
“A WHO evidence review covering studies published between 1980 and 2025 documented nearly 500,000 medical encounters at mass gatherings, including more than 22,000 heat-related illnesses.
“The review found that more than 90 per cent of patients can be treated at event venues when on-site medical systems are well organised, reducing pressure on local hospitals and ambulance services,” it said.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said extreme heat was an increasing threat to health, safety and operational continuity at mass gatherings.
Ihekweazu said heat should be addressed not only as an environmental hazard but also as a core operational and governance challenge requiring consistent risk assessment, preparedness and response.
He said heat-related deaths had increased by an estimated 63 per cent since the 1990s, with an average of 546,000 deaths recorded annually between 2012 and 2021.
“Mass gatherings can increase heat risks through prolonged outdoor exposure, dense crowds, limited access to safe water, travel-related stress and unfamiliarity with local climatic conditions.
“Increasing demands on health services during major events can further compound the risks associated with extreme heat and delay access to appropriate medical care,” he said.
He said that, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, hot extremes, including heatwaves, had become more frequent and intense across most land regions since the 1950s, largely due to climate change.
According to him, further increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat were projected with every additional increment of global warming.
“The new resources, titled Prevention and management of heat-related illness at mass gatherings, are based on systematic reviews and lessons learned from mass gathering events worldwide.
“The guidance recommends accessible safe drinking water and toilets, cooling infrastructure, schedule adjustments and effective crowd-flow management to reduce heat-related health risks,” Ihekweazu said.
He called for workforce protection, public communication, real-time health surveillance and well-prepared on-site medical services as part of comprehensive event preparedness.
He said the guidance adopted a whole-of-event approach, recognising that venue design, transport, security, communications, water and sanitation could influence people’s access to cooling and medical care.
“The guidance covers the full event cycle and is designed to complement national heat-health action plans, occupational health and safety requirements, emergency preparedness arrangements and clinical guidance,” he said.
He urged governments, event organisers and partners to integrate heat-risk management into health planning, preparedness and operations for mass gatherings worldwide.
(NAN)
