The Trauma Challenges in the Arbaeen Ceremony

Trauma injuries in overcrowding ceremonies are frequent. This study assessed the health system's challenges in preventing trauma incidents at the Arbaeen ceremony. This qualitative research from June 2021 to January 2022 included ten experts: three trauma professors, four crisis management professors, and three emergency medicine professors. Semi-structured interviews were used for the assessment of data. Challenges and suggestions regarding trauma prevention in the Arbaeen pilgrimage were coded and extracted. The findings related to the factors causing trauma in the Arbaeen ceremony were identified in four themes: management and policy-making, education, resort locations, and traffic. These themes were extracted from a total of 71 codes. The education content included general education, specialized health education, and education in spiritual health. The traffic issues included three subcategories in Iran, Iraq, and around the holy shrines, and resorts and settlements with three subcategories of processions, places of rest, and medical centers. Pilgrim-oriented education, planning, and control of other challenges can reduce threats into opportunities and improve participants' health in the Arbaeen community.