Content area
Full Text
Abstract
Planning for environmental health management of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games included assessment of the capacity and deficiencies of relevant public health agencies in Athens and the other four Olympic cities with 17 detailed questionnaires. Different estimates of the expected number of visitors were made on the basis of experience from previous Olympic Games. Potential public health risks were identified and prioritized. A number of deficiencies in personnel, resources, training, and coordination were identified in most agencies. One hundred and ninety-six environmental health inspectors were expected to work during the Olympic period. Around 18,000 athletes and escorts from 201 countries were expected to participate in the Olympic Games and 7,000 to participate in the Para-Olympic Games. Three different scenarios regarding the number of expected visitors were explored; the most probable estimate being 1,950,000 visitors, Foodborne diseases, waterborne diseases, and heat-related illnesses were considered of high priority during the Olympic period, as were traffic accidents. The Olympic Games are a difficult assignment that demands extensive planning, appropriate resources, and timely reporting and coordination among the various public health agencies.
Introduction
The Athens 2004 summer Olympic Games were expected to be the largest event in Greek and world sporting history and one ol the greatest challenges the various public health agencies in Greece had faced. A large number of athletes from different countries and a multiplicative number of visitors were expected to gather in a relatively small geographic area. Planning for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games benefited from experience gained at previous Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney (Bennett, Bartlett, Burgess, & Spooner , 2000; Meehan et al., 1998) and at other mass gatherings (De Lorenzo, Boyle, & Garrison, 1992; Green & Burnham, 1998; Leonard, 1996).
The opening ceremony for the Olympic Games was scheduled for August 13 and the closing ceremony for August 29. The ParaOlympic Games were scheduled two weeks later, starling on September 17 and continuing until September 28. The Olympic period was denned as the period between August 2 (opening day of the Olympic Athlete's Village) and September 30 (closing day of the Olympic Venues). During that time, the average daily temperature and humidity in Athens are significantly higher than in any other city that recently hosted Olympic Games. In addition,...