Abstract
Introduction: Ramadan fasting, observed by over 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, poses clinical challenges,
particularly for patients with chronic illnesses who fast despite exemptions. Healthcare professionals (HCPs)
often lack confidence and training to provide culturally sensitive care during Ramadan which can lead to
inadvertent insensitivity and a reduced quality of care for Muslim patients. The British Islamic Medical
Association (BIMA) Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 aimed to bridge these gaps through targeted clinicians
education and community-led health promotion in mosques.
Methods: The campaign engaged HCPs via webinars, broadcast media, and a digital toolkit, focusing on
medication management and culturally competent care. Simultaneously, over 40 mosques delivered interactive
educational sessions facilitated by local healthcare professionals and community leaders. Quantitative data
included attendance metrics and surveys measuring confidence and satisfaction; qualitative data from open
feedback and facilitator reflections underwent thematic analysis. Informed consent was obtained from
participants.
Results: Over 160 HCPs attended live webinars, and broadcasts reached ~8,000 listeners; the toolkit was
accessed from the website 2889 times. 85% of HCPs reported increased confidence in advising fasting patients
particularly on medication timing and risk stratification. Community sessions engaged ~1,350 attendees with
92% rating them useful for safe fasting knowledge. Participants valued culturally tailored messaging and
interactive formats, though some requested more specialist advice. Facilitators noted logistical challenges and
recommended digital supplements.
Discussion: The campaign demonstrated the feasibility and impact of a dual strategy combining clinician
education and mosque-based outreach to enhance Ramadan fasting safety. Increased HCP confidence and high
community satisfaction underscore the need for embedding faith-sensitive training in professional curriculum and
expanding digital resources. Persistent challenges include recruitment barriers and addressing complex clinical
needs.
Conclusion: The BIMA Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 highlights the critical role of culturally
competent, faith-aware education in promoting safe fasting and health equity. Future initiatives should focus on
scalable CPD, integrated digital tools, and rigorous evaluation to sustain and expand impact across diverse
Muslim populations.
Introduction
Ramadan fasting is observed annually by over 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and involves abstaining from food, drink, and certain behaviours from dawn until sunset for a lunar month. While fasting is a core religious obligation, exemptions exist for individuals with health conditions that may be adversely affected by prolonged fasting, such as diabetes , chronic kidney disease. cardiovascular disorders and pregnancy (1-4). Despite these exemptions, many Muslim patients with chronic illnesses choose to fast due to religious, social or cultural reasons, presenting a clinical challenge in balancing respect for faith with patient safety.
Clinical guidelines recommend individualised pre- Ramadan risk assessments and tailored management plans to minimise complications such as hypoglycaemia, dehydration, and medication mismanagement (5, 6). However, studies consistently report significant gaps in healthcare professionals’ preparedness to provide culturally sensitive advice during Ramadan(7, 8).
These gaps stem from limited formal education on fasting in healthcare curricula, lack of confidence in advising patients about medication adjustments, and insufficient understanding of religious nuances that
influence patient decisions (1, 9).
Beyond clinical management, addressing broader social determinants of health, including cultural competence, communication skills, and trust-building, is essential to support Muslim patients during Ramadan (9). Engaging community settings, such as mosques, as trusted venues for health education can enhance reach and relevance, fostering greater health literacy and self-care empowerment
The BIMA Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 was developed to bridge these gaps through a dual strategy: educating healthcare professionals to deliver inclusive, faith-aware care, and empowering Muslim communities via mosque-led health promotion.
This integrated approach aims to advance health equity, patient autonomy, and culturally competent clinical practice.
This article reports on the campaign’s implementation, outcomes, and lessons learned to inform future efforts in faith-sensitive healthcare provision.
Methods
Healthcare professional Engagement
The Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 included a dedicated workstream to engage healthcare professionals (HCPs) across disciplines, focusing on equipping them with knowledge and skills for safe, culturally sensitive care during Ramadan fasting. A multi-platform educational outreach strategy was developed based on a needs-assessment of HCP knowledge gaps identified in previous research (1,7-10)
Participants and Recruitment
Clinicians from primary care, community pharmacy and specialist services were targeted. Recruitment was conducted via professional networks, social media, channels and collaboration with healthcare organisations. Invitations were sent to pharmacy, general practice, nursing and specialist diabetes terms.
Interventions
- A live webinar was hosted at the annual pharmacy show, featuring expert presentations and interactive case-based discussions on Ramadan-related clinical issues such as medication timing, risk stratification, and management of chronic diseases.
- Broadcast sessions on the Islam Channel and national radio were produced, covering fasting safety, and clinical exemptions and spiritual considerations aimed at reaching a wide HCP audience.
- BIMA’s Ramadan Health Compendium, a comprehensive digital toolkit was disseminated through multiple channels. The compendium included clinical guidelines, patient communication tips and culturally contexualised educational materials.
- Interactive case scenarios and decision making algorithms were developed to support clinicians in applying guidelines to real-world consultations.
Data Collection and Evaluation
Attendance metrics were collected for the webinar and broadcast sessions. Feedback surveys assessed self-reported confidence, perceived relevance, and satisfaction with educational materials. Qualitative feedback was solicited to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation in clinical practice.
Community Led Health Promotion
The campaign adopted a community empowerment
model to deliver health education directly within Muslim
communities, recognising mosques and community
centres as trusted sites for engagement.
Participants and Recruitment:
Over 100 mosques and community organisations across
England volunteered to host educational sessions during
Ramadan. Facilitators were local healthcare
professionals, community leaders, and trained volunteers.
Intervention Materials:
Facilitators received a comprehensive toolkit including:
• Pre-prepared PowerPoint presentations addressing
nutrition, hydration, medication safety, and chronic
disease management during fasting.
• Promotional posters and leaflets tailored for
community settings.
• Structured feedback forms for session attendees.
Session Delivery
Interactive group sessions were conducted in mosque
halls or community rooms, typically lasting 45-60
minutes. Sessions incorporated Q&A, practical tips for
meal planning, and culturally appropriate messaging
respecting religious values.
Data Collection and Exhaustion
Attendance was recorded at each session. Participant
feedback was collected using structured questionnaires
assessing clarity, cultural relevance, knowledge gained,
and suggestions for improvement. Facilitators also
provided qualitative reflections on session dynamics and
community needs.
Ethical Considerations:
The Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 was designed as a
quality improvement and educational initiative, with a
primary focus on community engagement and
professional development. Informed consent was
obtained verbally from all participants prior to data
collection, with clear communication that participation
was voluntary and that responses would be anonymised
and used solely for evaluation purposes. Data protection
and confidentiality protocols were strictly followed in
line with GDPR requirements. Special attention was
given to respecting cultural and religious sensitivities during both healthcare professional and community
sessions, ensuring that messaging was respectful,
inclusive, and non-coercive.
Data Analysis Methods
Quantitative data from attendance records and structured
feedback forms were analysed using descriptive statistics
to summarise participation rates, levels of engagement,
and participant satisfaction scores. Qualitative feedback
from open-ended survey responses and facilitate
reflections were subjected to thematic analysis. Two
independent researchers coded the data, identifying
recurring themes related to perceived benefits,
challenges, and suggestions for future improvement.
Discrepancies were resolved through discussion to ensure
analytic rigor. The integration of quantitative and
qualitative findings facilitated a comprehensive
understanding of the campaign’s impact and areas
needing refinement.
Recruitment challenges
Recruitment of healthcare professionals presented
challenges related to competing clinical priorities and
time constraints during the busy pre-Ramadan period
Despite targeted outreach via professional bodies and
social media, attendance at live webinars was limited
compared to the potential audience size. This highlighted
the need for flexible, on-demand educational resources to
accommodate diverse schedules. For community
sessions, variability in mosque capacity and facilitator
availability affected the number and timing of events.
Some mosques expressed concern about the resource
intensity required to host sessions and requested
additional support. Furthermore, reaching more isolated
or less engaged Muslim populations remained
challenging, underscoring the importance of leveraging
trusted community leaders and exploring digital
platforms to broaden reach. These recruitment barriers
informed recommendations for future campaign
iterations to enhance accessibility and inclusivity.
Results
Healthcare Professional Engagement
The Pharmacy Show webinar attracted over 160
healthcare professionals, primarily from community
pharmacy and primary care settings. Attendance at
broadcast sessions on the Islam Channel and national
radio reached an estimated audience of approximately
8,000, reflecting broad regional and professional diversity. The BIMA Ramadan Health Compendium was
accessed from the website 2886 times during the
campaign period, with a significant proportion of users
reporting utilisation in clinical consultations and local
training events.
Survey feedback from 120 HCP attendees revealed that
85% felt more confident in advising Muslim patients on
safe fasting after engaging with the campaign materials.
Key areas of increased confidence included medication
timing adjustments (78%), risk stratification for fasting
(74%), and culturally sensitive communication strategies
(82%). Participants particularly valued the case-based
scenarios and spiritual context discussions, which they
reported helped bridge clinical and cultural knowledge
gaps.
Qualitative comments highlighted that the campaign
content was practical, inclusive, and relevant across faith
backgrounds. However, several respondents noted
challenges in integrating Ramadan health planning into
routine practice due to time pressures and lack of
formalised institutional protocols. Many expressed
interest in accredited continuing professional
development (CPD) modules and digital decision-support
tools to sustain learning and application.
Community-Led Health Promotion
The community sessions conducted across more than 40
mosques and community centres engaged an estimated 1,
350 attendees. Attendance per session ranged from 30 to
120 participants. Feedback forms were completed by
attendees, with 92% rating the sessions as “very useful”
or “useful” in increasing their understanding of safe
fasting practices.
Participants appreciated the clarity and cultural
appropriateness of the health advice, particularly the
emphasis on hydration, nutrition during Suhoor and Iftar,
and medication management. The interactive format and
use of local facilitators were cited as strengths that
enhanced engagement and trust. Nevertheless, 38% of
respondents requested more detailed meal planning
guidance and specialist advice, especially for managing
diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Suggestions for
improvement included more interactive group
discussions and incorporation of daily digital health
reminders throughout Ramadan to reinforce learning.
Facilitators reported positive experiences but also
highlighted challenges such as variability in community
literacy levels, competing religious activities, and logistical issues with session scheduling and promotion.
Several facilitators recommended developing a digital
platform to supplement in-person sessions and facilitate
ongoing support.
Discussion
The Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 demonstrates the
feasibility and value of a dual-focused approach
targeting both healthcare professionals (HCPs) and
Muslim communitiesto enhance safe fasting practices
and ensure culturally competent care. The significant
reach and positive reception of educational interventions
across clinical and community settings indicate a strong
demand for structured, faith-aware health education
surrounding Ramadan.
Among HCPs, increased confidence in managing fasting
related clinical challenges aligns with prior studies
showing that targeted education improves practitioners’
cultural competence and clinical decision-making
The integration of spiritual and cultural context into
clinical guidelines proved to be critical in bridging(9-12)
knowledge gaps and fostering respectful patient-centred
care, supporting frameworks that advocate for holistic
approaches in Muslim healthcare (7). Nonetheless
practical barriers such as time constraints and absence of
formalised protocols and limited institutional support
highlight ongoing systemic challenges. To address these
challenges, there is a pressing need for formal policy
frameworks that mandate the inclusion of faith-sensitive
training in healthcare education and continuing
professional development (CPD). Embedding Ramadan
specific guidance within undergraduate curricula,
national clinical guidelines and commissioning standards
would institutionalise best practices, ensure care
consistency, and reduce health disparities experienced by
Muslim patients during fasting(10, 13). Furthermore,
sustained knowledge translation requires investment in
accessible, accredited CPD resources that accomodate
the workload pressures of frontline clinicians.
The community-led component reinforced the value of
mosque-based health promotion as a trusted and
culturally congruent setting, consistent with evidence on
faith-based health interventions enhancing engagement
and health literacy in minority populations (14-17). High
levels of participant satisfaction and knowledge gain
demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive, locally
delivered sessions. However, requests for more
specialised dietary and medical advice reflect the
complexity of fasting management for individuals with chronic diseases, notably diabetes, which remains a
leading concern in Ramadan health research (9). This
highlights the importance of integrating expert-led
components and personalised guidance into future
campaigns to address heterogeneous community needs.
Ethically, the campaign emphasises principles of respect
for patient autonomy, cultural competence, and equity in
healthcare delivery. Facilitating safe fasting through
informed shared decision-making aligns with the ethical
imperative to respect patients’ religious beliefs while
ensuring non-maleficence and beneficence (18). The
inclusion of spiritual considerations in clinical education
fosters holistic care that recognises patients values
beyond biomedical parameters, promoting trust and
engagement. However, the variability in access to
tailored medical advice and digital resources reveals
ongoing equity challenges, particularly for marginalised
subgroups within Muslim communities. Policymakers
must address these digital divides and resource gaps to
uphold justice and equitable health outcomes.
Moreover, the campaign’s community-led approach
illustrates the ethical importance of participatory health
promotion that empowers communities as active agents
rather than passive recipients. By collaborating with
mosques and local leaders, the campaign respects cultural
contexts and leverages trusted networks, consistent with
principles of community engagement and social justice
(17). Future policy should incentivise such partnerships
and provide infrastructure to facilitate ongoing
community capacity building.
In summary, the BIMA Healthy Ramadan Campaign
2025 offers a model for ethically grounded, policy
relevant interventions that reconcile cultural respect with
clinical safety. Realising these ambitions requires
systemic policy reforms to embed faith-sensitive training,
resource allocation to bridge access inequities, and
ethical commitment to community empowerment. Such
integrated efforts are essential to advancing inclusive,
equitable healthcare for Muslim patients during Ramadan
and beyond.
The campaign’s limitations include recruitment
challenges, particularly among HCPs facing competing
demands, and variability in community session delivery
The digital divide was evident as some participants
expressed preference for supplementary digital tools,
suggesting that blended approaches combining in-person
and digital engagement may optimise reach and
sustainability. Furthermore, the absence of systematic
longitudinal follow-up limits assessment of behavioural
change and clinical outcomes, indicating an area for
future research.
The Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 contributes
valuable insights into the design and implementation of
faith-sensitive health education. By equipping clinicians
with culturally competent skills and empowering
communities with practical knowledge, it advances
equitable healthcare and patient autonomy during
Ramadan fasting. Future directions should prioritise
scalable CPD modules, enhanced digital platforms, and
integration into formal healthcare education to ensure
long-term impact. Additionally, rigorous evaluation of
clinical outcomes and health equity effects will be critical
to refine and validate these approaches in diverse Muslim
populations.
Conclusion
The Healthy Ramadan Campaign 2025 successfully
demonstrated that culturally competent, faith-sensitive
education targeting both healthcare professionals and
Muslim communities can significantly enhance the safety
and well-being of individuals who fast during Ramadan.
By addressing both clinical and community needs, the
campaign fostered increased clinician confidence,
improved patient engagement, and strengthened
community health literacy. These outcomes illustrate
critical role of culturally tailored health interventions in
reducing health disparities and promoting patient-centred
care.
However, the campaign also revealed systemic gaps,
including the lack of formalised training pathways for
healthcare professionals, limited access to specialised
medical advice for complex conditions, and digital
inequalities affecting resource reach. Addressing these
challenges requires concerted policy action to integrate
faith-aware education into healthcare curricula, invest in
scalable accredited professional development, and
develop inclusive digital platforms accessible to diverse
populations.
Ethically, the campaign reinforced the importance of
respecting religious beliefs within clinical care while
ensuring patient safety through informed decision
making. It highlighted the value of community
empowerment and participatory approaches that build
trust and foster sustainable health behaviours.
Looking ahead, sustaining and expanding such initiatives
will depend on embedding culturally competent
frameworks into healthcare policy and practice, fostering
cross-sector collaboration between clinical, educational, and community organisations, and rigorously evaluating
long-term health and equity outcomes. These steps are
essential to advancing equitable, inclusive healthcare
systems that respect and support the diverse needs of
Muslim patients during Ramadan and throughout the
year.
References
- British Islamic Medical Association. BIMA
Ramadan Compendium V1.2 2023. Available from:
https://britishima.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bima
ramadan-compendium-v1.2-3.pdf. - Bhuiyan MN, Saadiq RA, Mueller MR, Abdalrhim
AD, Overgaard J. Patient Care During Ramadan: A
Narrative Review. Health Services Research and
Managerial Epidemiology.
2024;11:23333928241266041. - Al‐Jafar R, ZografouThemeli M, Zaman S,
Lhoste V, Khamliche A, et al. Effect of Religious Fasting
in Ramadan on Blood Pressure: Results From LORANS
(London Ramadan Study) and a Meta‐Analysis. Journal
of the American Heart Association.
2021;10(20):e021560. - Bravis V, Hui E, Salih S, Mehar S, Hassanein M,
Devendra D. Ramadan Education and Awareness in
Diabetes (READ) programme for Muslims with Type 2
diabetes who fast during Ramadan. Diabet Med.
2010;27(3):327-31. - Al-Arouj M, Assaad-Khalil S, Buse J, Fahdil I,
Fahmy M, Hafez S, et al. Recommendations for
management of diabetes during Ramadan: update 2010.
Diabetes Care. 2010;33(8):1895-902. - Hassanein M, Al-Arouj M, Hamdy O, Bebakar
WMW, Jabbar A, Al-Madani A, et al.
Ramadan: Practical guidelines. Diabetes Research and
Clinical Practice. 2017;126:303-16. - Hillier KAW, Longworth ZL, Vatanparast H.
Healthcare professionals knowledge, attitude, practices,
and perspectives providing care to Muslims in We
countries who fast during Ramadan: a scoping review.
ApplPhysiolNutrMetab. 2024;49(4):415- - Hassan SM, Leavey C, Rooney JS, Puthussery S. A
qualitative study of healthcare professionals’ experiences
of providing maternity care for Muslim women i
UK. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2020;20(1):400. - Mackenzie SC, Dickson J, Mehar S, Yusof BNM,
Alselmi A, Aksi B, et al. Digitising diabetes education
for a safer Ramadan: Design, delivery, and evaluation of
massive open online courses in Ramadan
diabetes education. Prim Care Diabetes. 2024;18(3):340
6. - Dwivedi R, Cipolle C, Hoefer C. Development and
Assessment of an Interprofessional Curriculum for
Managing Diabetes During Ramadan. American Journal
of Pharmaceutical Education. 2018;82(7). - Elmaoued AA, Radwan RM, Hassan OE, Zaed M,
White RT. Improving cultural humility in pharmacy
education: A focus on diabetes management during
religious fasting. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and
Learning. 2025;17(4):102275. - Tekbaş A, Mauntel A, Leh
M, Settmacher U, Festl-Wietek T, et al. Enhancing
intercultural competence of German medical students
through innovative teaching on medical ethics with a
focus on Muslim patients –
Ethics. 2024;25(1):152. - Bottenfield KR, Kelley MA, Ferebee S, Best AN,
Flynn D, Davies TA. Effectively teaching cultural
competence in a pre-professional healthcare curriculum.
BMC Medical Education. 2024;24(1):553. - King R, Warsi S, Amos A, Shah S, Mir G, Sheikh
A, et al. Involving mosques in health promotion
programmes: a qualitative exploration of the MCLASS
intervention on smoking in the home. Health Educ Res.
2017;32(4):293-305. - Hall J, Rashid R, Rafiq A, Fatima K, Barber SE,
Dogra SA. Reflections on co
prevention toolkit for Islamic Religious Settings: a
qualitative process evaluation. International Journal of
Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
2024;21(1):63. - Vu M, Muhammad H, Peek ME, Padela AI. Muslim
women’s perspectives on design
women’s health interventions
study. Women Health. 2018;58(3):334 - Abu-Ras W, Aboul-
Benajiba N, Dodge E. Mosques and Public Health
Promotion: A Scoping Review of Faith
Interventions. Health EducBehav. 2024;51(5):677 - Bouchareb S, Chrifou R, Bourik Z, Nijpels G,
Hassanein M, Westerman MJ, et al. “I am my own
doctor”: A qualitative study of the perspectives and
decision-making process of Muslims with diabetes on
Ramadan fasting. PLOS ONE. 2022;17(3):e0263088.
