-By ArdorComm News Network
July 30, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) is collaborating with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and France to ensure the Paris Olympics, starting this Friday, are healthy and safe for both spectators and athletes.
“Just as athletes and fans around the world have been preparing for the Paris Olympics, WHO has been working with the IOC and the Government of France to make sure these Games are healthy and safe for everyone involved,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “From promoting physical activity to protecting people from a range of health threats, WHO has been proud to play its part in making the Paris Olympics a success.”
WHO and the IOC, partners since a 2020 memorandum of understanding renewed this year, have launched the “Let’s Move” campaign. This initiative promotes physical activity, leveraging the Paris Olympics to motivate sports stars and the global public to move for better health.
In support of this campaign, the French Government has introduced a program mandating 30 minutes of daily physical activity for school students to ensure a lasting, healthy legacy from the Paris Olympics.
WHO’s health security experts at its Geneva headquarters and European Regional Office in Copenhagen have been actively supporting national and regional authorities. Their efforts include preparing for potential health scenarios like heatwaves, infectious disease outbreaks, food and water safety hazards, terrorism, and crowd management.
Public health advice has been developed in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and France for travelers attending the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, starting on August 28. Guidance includes recommended vaccines, protection against various illnesses, and tips for staying cool and hydrated.
WHO has participated in IOC Paris 2024 simulation exercises to test public health plans, established Olympics-specific health event-based surveillance, and is producing daily situation reports with ECDC. These reports aim to capture early signals of any health events and support timely responses, providing information to the IOC and other partners.
Dr. Tedros will participate in the Olympic Torch Relay on Friday, following his speech at the Paris Summit on Sports for Sustainable Development, hosted by the French Presidency and the IOC. At the Summit, WHO will commit to mobilizing for nutrition ahead of next year’s Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris and expand support to countries to improve diets, promote physical activity, and manage obesity, aiming to reduce obesity prevalence in targeted countries by 5% by 2030.