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The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the 2024 Women's Health and Reproductive Care Statistics report today. According to the report's findings, the natural birth rate in the Kingdom was 71.4%, compared to 28.1% for cesarean births in the age group of 15-49 years. Additionally, the percentage of births attended by skilled health professionals was 99.6%.
The results indicated that 99.5% of women had at least one visit to a healthcare provider before childbirth. Furthermore, 66.1% of births took place in public hospitals, while 32% occurred in private hospitals.
The report's results showed that 65% of women breastfed their newborns within the first hour of birth. Additionally, 53.2% of infants were breastfed during the day prior to the visit.
The report's results revealed that 29.9% of married women are currently using any form of family planning. Furthermore, 56% of married women of reproductive age have successfully met their family planning needs using modern methods. The percentage of women who decide independently or jointly with their husbands to use contraceptive methods is 74.9%, while 89.8% of women make decisions either independently or in collaboration with their husbands regarding healthcare.
It is worth noting that the Women's Health and Reproductive Care Statistics rely on data from the Women's and Child Health Survey, which is conducted annually by the General Authority for Statistics through a sample of women in the age group of 15-49 years.

General Authority for Statistics announced, on its official website (stats.gov.sa), a number of health status indicators in the Kingdom, as it issued 3 specialized statistical publications that included many indicators related to the general health status, women’s health and reproductive care, in addition to comprehensive health care for the year 2023. In 2023, the percentage of adults aged (15 years and above) and children aged (under 15 years old)  in the Kingdom who have private health insurance to cover basic healthcare expenses recorded 37.5% and 19.5%, respectively. The percentage of adults aged (15 years and above) in the Kingdom who pay healthcare on their own was 21.8%, while the percentage of children whose parents pay their healthcare on their own was 9.7%. The percentage of adults aged (15 years and above) who undergo annual regular check-ups was 47%, according to the publication’s results.  On the other hand, the results of the publication on the health status of the population in the Kingdom in 2023 showed that the percentage of adults aged (15 years and above) who rated their health quality as good or very good was 53%, while the percentage among children and adolescents aged 4 to 14 years was 71%. The percentage of women who had a negative perception of their health status was 30%, compared to 25% among adult men (15 years and above). Regarding women's health, the results of the publication on women's health and reproductive care in 2023 showed that the percentage of health coverage provided by private health insurance during pregnancy and childbirth for recent births in the Kingdom was 26%, while the percentage of those who pay the costs of providing healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth on their own was 13.5%. The percentage of mothers who had at least four visits to a healthcare provider before childbirth reached 88.8%. The percentage of births attended by skilled health specialists was 99.8%, out of total births in the Kingdom during 2023, while the percentage of c-section births was 34.5%, out of total births in the Kingdom during 2023. On the other hand, the percentage of married women of reproductive age who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern method was 54%.

Statistics: More than (200) main services representing the (general Hajj services), which is one of the five basic services provided by more than (257 thousand) employees working in (21) government and private parties. 21 government and private parties collaborate in providing (general Hajj services) during the Hajj season this year 1440H. The general Hajj services are one of the five main services provided to pilgrims (supervision and follow-up services for Hajj, public pilgrimage services, health services for pilgrims, and transport services for pilgrims). The General Authority for Statistics (GAS) announced on Monday 4 of Dhu al-Hijjah 1440 H within the "Register of Hajj Statistics 1440 H" the detailed data regarding the (general Hajj Services) and explained that more than 200 major services in the field of (general Hajj services) are offered to pilgrims, including: activities of the secretariats and municipalities, supervision and inspection, as well as other services such as electricity, water, religious and media awareness, security services, processing services and the creation of outlets for the reception of pilgrims, in addition issuing Hajj permits for domestic pilgrims, civil cases services, and a number of other support services. The total number of people providing public services reached 257,763 male and female employees, including 253,905 men and 3858 women working around the clock throughout the Hajj season, while the number of equipment and mechanisms used for these services reached 62,050 pieces of equipment and machinery, 7,727 vehicles, 2,640 motorcycles, 14,498 wireless devices, and 5,337 computers. The security services provided to the guests of Hajj are highlighted as the most important public services provided by the General Security. It carries out security and traffic plans and maintains public order in Mecca, Mashaer and Madinah. The number of police stations in Mecca and Mashaer reached 52, and the number of traffic centers reached 280. In addition to 75 security control centers at the borders and entrances of Makkah and Mashaer, the Directorate General of Passports is operating through more than 6041 staff officers, individuals and technicians to equip and prepare the outlets to welcome pilgrims and provide them with the necessary services to complete their departure procedures to their countries through seven land ports, three airports and two maritime ports, in which the General Authority of Customs participates with a workforce exceeding 2638 employees providing customs services, welcoming, and bidding farewell to the guests of Hajj. In the same ports the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture operates 14 sanitary quarantines to inspect animal and plant consignments coming into Mecca and Medina. In the field of providing civil defense services, approximately 16,325 members of the Directorate General of Civil Defense carry out preventive awareness programs as soon as pilgrims come to Saudi Arabia from their countries, and ensure the availability and completeness of safety requirements in their places of residence in Makkah, Medina, and the Holy Places. The number of civil defense centers within the Holy Places reached 105 centers, in addition to 556 preventive supervision points, and units of the emergency and support forces, as well as 64 centers in Mecca, 30 centers in Medina, and 25 centers for civil defense in the border ports and main roads. In terms of  providing and enabling government agencies to use technology, the National Information Center operates through more than 1465 technicians and administrators to secure and equip tablets to read the electronic pilgrimage permits in the sites of sorting and security control at the entrances of the Holy Capital, and processing and operation of all pilgrimage ports in all regions of the Kingdom with devices, fingerprint stations, and printers of various kinds, as well as information transmission services with modern technologies. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior for Civil Services provides its civil services electronically through 5 civil affairs offices in Mekkah and Medinah. These services include issuing and canceling Hajj permits for domestic pilgrims, and recording birth and death facts for foreign pilgrims and residents. In order to highlight the importance of the ritual of Hajj and broadcast it to all countries of the world, information and awareness services rise to the occasion, where the Ministry of Information equips the media centers in each of the Holy Places, Medina, and Jeddah, in addition to carrying out the censorship and authorization of publications that official and civil authorities, diplomatic missions and Hajj missions wish to distribute. It also provides media censorship of what is received with the pilgrims through the various outlets of the Kingdom. It also coordinates with the press organizations to issue press supplements directed to pilgrims in a number of languages, supervise their distribution in the outlets and places of pilgrims, and host a number of media from Arab and Islamic countries to perform and cover Hajj, while the Saudi Press Agency broadcast reports news and surveys of interest to guests highlighting the efforts of the Saudi government and its services and achievements, in addition to conducting press interviews with Hajj missions and pilgrims, and translating all of the above by broadcasting hundreds of news, reports, and press surveys of the audio-visual and print media on the website (SPA) in addition to social media in six languages: (Arabic, English, French, Russian, Chinese, and Persian). The Radio and Television Authority has a staff of up to 1237 employees including media people, administrators and technicians to broadcast the Hajj rituals through five satellite channels, six radio stations, and the Audio-Visual Production Organization organizes and facilitates the broadcast of Hajj rites through 247 satellite channels and 5 radio stations, in addition to issuing permits for foreign media missions, foreign channels, as well as issuing photographic permits for a number of local production companies, providing facilities to all media involved in covering the rituals of Hajj. In continuation of its awareness efforts, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs provides its services during the Hajj season through 1911 employees, by organizing various da'wah activities and answering religious inquiries through a toll-free phone, which amounts to more than 21,000 free contact hours during the Hajj season. In the field of guidance and provision of support services, the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association participates through 3289 Scouts to guide lost pilgrims and help them reach their premises, in addition to the distribution of Qur'an, books, and educational materials. They also contribute organizing pilgrims activities while they are within the sites of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, following-up random stalls and shops selling food, supervising the vendor inspection system, and fining the violators with the participation of the Holy Capital Municipality teams, in addition organizing the pilgrims navigation inside health facilities, assisting those who need transportation by vehicle or guidance and transporting them to their destinations with the support of the Ministry of Health, in addition to guiding pilgrims from the pilgrimage offices to Jamarat, issuing guides and maps for all government agencies to the pilgrims of Mina and Arafat, Mecca (Aziziyah) and Madinah (central region). The number of scout teams this year reached 179 scout squads. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research Center is working to provide research and studies services in order to develop an integrated information system to support decision makers in the field of Hajj and Umrah through 337 employees working since the early Hajj season which produced 45 researches and 19 specialized scientific forums.   As for facilities development services in Makkah and the holy sites, the Makkah Region Development Authority worked on shading the pedestrian slope from Aziziyah to the Jamarat facility, as well as shading the slopes of the ascent and descent of the Mashair train stations, maintenance and operation of the Jamarat facility and its supporting projects, maintenance and operation of the Holy Mashair train, in addition to all operating and cleanliness services in the Holy Places facilities which are carried out by 14,361 employees. Meanwhile, the Municipality of the Holy City, through 23,050 employees, provides municipal services to the guests of Hajj, including: General cleaning services, collection and transport of waste, and proper disposal to maintain high environmental standards. The Saudi Electricity Company operates five main stations with a workforce of 1616 employees. Water services are provided through 2,297 employees working in the National Water Company to operate and maintain water systems, and to clean and maintain toilets in Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat.

1,141 medical and first response field teams provide their services 24/7  GaStat: Over 30,000 employees are ready to provide health services for pilgrims, with 16 hospitals in Mecca and the Holy Sites, 125 health centers, and 132 ambulance centers The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is investing all its human and material capacities in the service of pilgrims to the Holy Sites, as government entities come together to offer health services to pilgrims. The General Authority for Statistics (GAS) announced on Tuesday 5 Dhu'l-Hijjah 1440 Hijri that the workforce dedicated to providing health services and first aid to pilgrims this Hajj season has reached 30,908 people (of whom 8,685 are women). The numbers were published on the Authority’s website (www.stats.gov.sa( and include employees form the Ministry of Health, the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, and the Saudi Food & Drug Authority. They are joined in providing health services by teams from the security and military sectors. This brings the total of medical and first response field teams at the Holy Sites during the Hajj season up to 1,141 teams. The GAS explained that health, treatment, and prevention services for pilgrims are offered by the Ministry of Health in the shape of free specialized medical services through a dedicated team of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, technicians, and administrative employees exceeding 27,797 individuals. Treatment services made available to pilgrims include:   open heart surgeries, cardiac catheterization, dialysis - both hemodialysis and peritoneal -, endoscopies, birth procedures, and other specialized medical services. Currently,  16 hospitals are available inside Mecca and the Holy Sites, along with 125 health  centers  fully equipped for medical and emergency response, and 68 field teams operating at the Holy Sites and inside and outside Mecca.  The Saudi Red Crescent Authority has itself dedicated 132 permanent and temporary first response centers, 370 ambulances, 20 bikes, and 2,811 individuals for emergency and medical services in Mecca, Medina, and the Holy Sites.  All health and emergency response teams are operating 24/7 in Mecca and the Holy Sites until Wednesday 20 Dhu'l-Hijjah. The concerned authorities have already set the necessary comprehensive programs and plans to guarantee the provision of all capacities and requirements needed to deal with emergencies and disasters, if any, and to provide medical and emergency aid, treatment, and prevention services to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and visitors. The plans have been rolled out effectively and efficiently based on a unified approach and using the most advanced medical and first aid provision methods. The services also seek to reinforce health security at the Holy Sites and the roads leading to them, and at land, air and maritime entry points. They are not limited to land services provided through ambulances but also cover Saudi Air Ambulance, motorbikes, fast response teams, and field teams at the Great Mosque and Al Masjid an Nabawi and their surroundings. These efforts rely on available human capacities and a group of male and female volunteers.  The Saudi Food & Drug Authority has assigned a team of 300 employees to monitor foods, medicine, and medical equipment and products imported by pilgrims and pilgrimage groups. This team is also in charge of supporting the concerned monitoring authorities in their inspection of establishments offering food to pilgrims in Mecca, Medina and the Holy Sites. The Authority’s seven key services include: inspecting foods, medicine, and medical equipment imported through entry points; health inspection of food establishments in the Mecca region; health inspection of food establishments in the Medina region; health inspection of animals sacrificed at Mina; field studies concerning food safety; raising awareness among pilgrims on the safety of food, medicine, and medical equipment and products; and inspecting transportation means entering Mecca and the Holy Sites. - End -