WHO joins hands with IOC, France to ensure healthy Paris Olympics

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) is collaborating with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the French government to ensure that all those associated with the Paris Olympics remain healthy and avoid contracting any diseases during and after the mega sports event.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said,“Just as athletes and fans around the world have been preparing for the Paris Olympics, WHO has been working closely with the IOC and the French Government to ensure these games are healthy and safe for everyone involved.” 
“From promoting physical activity to protecting against a range of health threats, WHO is proud to contribute to the success of the Paris Olympics,” he added.
In this connection, WHO and the IOC, had signed a memorandum of understanding in 2020, which was renewed this year, launching the "Let’s Move" campaign, using the Paris Olympics to encourage athletes and the global public to engage in physical activity for better health.
As part of this campaign, the French government has introduced a program mandating 30 minutes of daily physical activity for school students, aiming to leave 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 to protect public health during and after the mega sport event. 
This initiative includes preparing for potential health scenarios such as heatwaves, infectious disease outbreaks, food and water safety hazards, terrorism, and crowd management.
Joint public health advice, developed in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and France, is being provided to travelers attending the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, which are going to begin on August 28. 
This guidance includes recommendations on necessary vaccinations, protection against respiratory and vector-borne diseases, and strategies for staying cool and hydrated.
WHO has participated in IOC Paris 2024 simulation exercises to test public health plans, established Olympics-specific health surveillance, and is producing daily situation reports in collaboration with ECDC. 
These reports are designed to detect early signals of health issues, support timely responses, and are shared with the IOC and other partners.
Dr. Tedros joins local and global figures in the Olympic Torch Relay, following his speech at the Paris Summit on Sports for Sustainable Development, hosted by the French Presidency and the IOC. 
During the summit, WHO will commit to mobilize governments ahead of next year’s fourth Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris and expand support to countries to improve diets, promote physical activity, and manage obesity, to reduce obesity prevalence in targeted countries by 5pc by 2030.