H1N1 Scourge Spurs Age Bar on Hajj: Reports

Arab health ministers at a World Health Organization (WHO) convened meeting in Cairo have agreed to exclude people aged over 65 and under 12, and those with chronic diseases from the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca this year. The decision, announced by the WHO, is yet to be ratified by the ministers’ governments, say media reports.

The decision, a heart shattering one for many, comes amid a looming epidemic threat posed by the deadly H1N1 virus which has already caused 700 deaths worldwide. 

The resolution to impose the age bar comes a nearly a month after Saudi Arabia asked elderly and sick Muslims to desist from making the pilgrimage this year.

In 2008, over two million pilgrims undertook the Hajj, which is a farz (mandatory), for Muslims with adeequate financial resources.

A WHO official said that the decision to keep vulnerable groups away from the pilgrimage, scheduled for November, is yet to be endorsed by the health ministers’ governments.

The global health body confirms 952 cases of the virus in the region stretching from Afghanistan to Morocco.

The only death in the region was reported from Egypt on Sunday, the deceased, a woman, had returned from a pilgrimage trip to Saudi Arabia, reported BBC.

According to latest figures, over 130,000 cases of swine flu have been reported worldwide.

Notably, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj, responsible for the conduct of the pilgrimage, is yet to make an official announcement on the matter.
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