A Saudi Arabian Public Health Perspective of Tuberculosis

Abdullah A. Saati, Muhammad Khurram, Hani Faidah, Abdul Haseeb and Marcello Iriti
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Abdullah A. Saati: Department of Community Medicine & Pilgrims Healthcare, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Khurram: Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
Hani Faidah: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia
Abdul Haseeb: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia
Marcello Iriti: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-37

Abstract: Tuberculosis is a global health challenge due to its spreading potential. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) faces a challenge in the spread of tuberculosis from migrant workers, but the foremost threat is the huge number of pilgrims who travel to visit sacred sites of the Islamic world located in the holy cities of Makkah and Al Madina. Pilgrims visit throughout the year but especially in the months of Ramadan and Zul-Hijah. The rise of resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an established global phenomenon that makes such large congregations likely hotspots in the dissemination and spread of disease at a global level. Although very stringent and effective measures exist, the threat remains due to the ever-changing dynamics of this highly pathogenic disease. This overview primarily highlights the current public health challenges posed by this disease to the Saudi health system, which needs to be highlighted not only to the concerned authorities of KSA, but also to the concerned global quarters since the pilgrims and migrants come from all parts of the world with a majority coming from high tuberculosis-burdened countries.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; hajj; umrah; pilgrims; MDR; XDR; TDR (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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