Public Health Issues and Benefits Associated with International Sporting Events

Olympic Games, World Cup tournaments, and other hallmark sporting events are not only venues for high-profile international competition and celebration  but also staging grounds for public health and medical strategies to avert negative health outcomes and promote positive health outcomes.  Optimal public health readiness provides direct benefits in health security to the host city and its visitors and also indirect contributions to sustainable public health systems and future improved health outcomes.  As awareness of public health challenges and opportunities associated with mass sporting events grows, so does the recognition of the need to collate the collective experience and insights from past events and pass this learning on to those responsible for public health and healthcare planning and operations in future host cities.

In collaboration with the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) organized a workshop in London on October 25-26, 2007, to address the public health challenges and opportunities associated with hosting an international sporting event.  Building on the experience of countries that have been involved in these events, the goal was to distill and share lessons learned by identifying the public health issues associated with a high-profile mass gathering and the public health benefits that might be derived from preparing for and conducting such an event.

The workshop was facilitated by the catalyst consultancy group Loop2 (www.loop2.co.uk ). Presentations were delivered based on the London 2012 Olympics, Sydney 2000 Olympics, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, CDC Atlanta’s experience, and the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany. Loop2 developed a planning scenario that encouraged delegates to systematically work through the key issues to be considered in preparing for the public health impact of major events. These issues were captured and debated in the light of the host countries’ experiences and the available evidence.

The outcome of the workshop is this portal to downloadable materials and information for countries that are hosting, or bidding to host, an international sporting event and for the national public health institutes that are supporting these efforts.  The site includes relevant background on the public health aspects of mass sports gatherings as well as checklists, protocols, guidance documents, and reviews to guide those charged with public health planning, operations, and evaluation.

Although the focus is on sporting events such as the Olympic Games and World Cup tournaments, most of the materials and guidance are also relevant to any complex mass gathering or mega-event that brings large numbers of international visitors to a host city.

The content is intended to be used by any country considering bidding to host a major international sporting event.  Therefore, specific considerations of the legal framework in each country cannot be included. Rather the toolkit tries to summarise available international information which each country can set against its own legal and public health infrastructure.