Advancing heat-health preparedness during mass gatherings: practical tools

On 28 May 2026, WHO hosted an EPI-WIN webinar bringing together more than 800 public health authorities, event organizers and global partners to advance approaches to heat-health management at mass gatherings.

Extreme heat is an increasingly urgent public health challenge at mass gatherings. Religious pilgrimages, cultural festivals, elections and major sporting events amplify risk through prolonged outdoor exposure, physical exertion and high crowd density, placing participants, especially high-risk groups, at heightened vulnerability to heat-related illness.

The webinar introduced the heat-health action plan framework and presented systematic review results and practical tools developed under the WHO Beat the Heat initiative. These include early warning systems, event-specific risk assessment methods, escalation protocols and mitigation measures designed for settings ranging from local gatherings to international tournaments. Country representatives and event organizers shared real-world experience applying these tools, strengthening a growing global community of practice.

The insights shared reinforced the importance of proactive planning and coordinated action in protecting event attendees and hosting communities and building resilience in the face of increasingly extreme heat events.

Please see details about the webinar here: WHO Health Emergencies EPI-WIN webinar: from data to action: evidence-based tools for heat risk management for mass gatherings