Hosting a major international event like the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games falls within the scope of Santé publique France's remit. For over two years, the agency has been working with the Ministry of Labour, Health and Solidarity, the Paris 2024 organisation committee and its partners to prepare for the occasion.
As part of the preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Santé publique France has:
Reviewed the literature on the health risks involved with mass gatherings;
Mapped the risks to health, in conjunction with a broader mapping exercise led by the General Directorate for Health;
Contributed to developing prevention initiatives in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the Interministerial Delegation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games (DIJOP).
We are actively involved both nationally and regionally by:
Implementing an enhanced system for health monitoring and epidemiological surveillance;
Helping to raise awareness among health professionals of the need to report any health events that may require investigation or management measures;
Raising general awareness of the risks to population health;
Being ready to issue alerts and provide an operational response by mobilising strategic stocks of health products or the Healthcare Reserve.
For the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Santé publique France has set up an enhanced surveillance system in collaboration with its partners. The system is based on existing surveillance systems, which have been strengthened and adapted to the specific challenges associated with this type of event. All populations present in mainland France from 8 July to 15 September 2024 will be covered by this surveillance system. Surveillance will be active at national level to provide an overview of the whole country, but also at regional level, in Ile-de-France where most of the events will take place (Olympic venues, villages, fan zones), as well as in other regions hosting competitions.
Santé publique France will produce daily national updates and regional updates where the Games are held. These updates will be used to inform the health authorities of any warnings identified via the various surveillance systems in place. The daily data will be summarised and reported in weekly national and regional bulletins published on our website.
To detect health signals early where these may result in a health alert and, in the event of an alert, to lead epidemiological investigations that help define preventive or control measures (e.g. withdrawing or recalling a food product, targeted vaccination);
To rapidly assess the impact of a health event or exposure to one or more environmental hazards that may affect health, in order to inform decision-makers and provide evidence to support management measures;
To provide figures on health events occurring in the context of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The SurSaUD® syndromic surveillance system (including data on emergency department visits from the OSCOUR® network, on consultations within the SOS Médecins doctornetwork of general practitioners, on deaths from all causes and electronic certification of deaths)
The notifiable diseases surveillance system
Microbiological surveillance systems with the French National Reference Centres (CNR)
Surveillance systems based on networks of laboratories, doctors and participating hospital departments
Microbiological surveillance of wastewater (SUM’EAU)
Existing surveillance systems, such as those used for monitoring drowning, arboviruses and air pollution, will be further strengthened during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
New surveillance systems will also be operational during the Games, including international surveillance of infectious signals in conjunction with the ECDC, and monitoring carried out in partnership with the Paris Fire Brigade, the emergency medical services (SAMU) and first-aid providers. These new surveillance systems could continue to be used beyond the Games.
Level 1 is active throughout France. It consists of the routine monitoring carried out by Santé publique France using its main systems (core systems).
Level 2 will be deployed in the seven regions hosting competitions, namely Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Pays de Loire, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Centre-Val de Loire. In addition to routine monitoring, level 2 will include data from the emergency medical services (SAMU) and the first-aid providers working at the Games.
Level 3 applies to the Île-de-France region, which will host the majority of the events. It incorporates all the systems used at level 2, supplemented by feedback from the first-aid providers and data from the Paris Fire Brigade.
Large-scale gatherings can generate health risks. These may involve imported diseases, increased transmission of diseases due to close contact between people, or exposure to risks already present in France.
Reactive identification of an unusual health event, or any event that is likely to present a threat to public health, relies in particular on the rapid reporting of such events by healthcare professionals to health authorities, such as the regional health agencies (ARS). This allows for appropriate investigations and management measures to be implemented as quickly as possible.
With this in mind, in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, healthcare professionals (general practitioners, hospital staff, laboratory biologists, etc.), other organisations involved in the events (first aiders, firefighters, etc.), as well as doctors from foreign delegations authorised to practice in France during the Games, have all been informed about the importance of immediately reporting any unusual health events or notifiable diseases to the regional health agency.
The documents needed to report a health event and the procedures to follow for each disease can be found on the Santé publique France website (under notifiable diseases and in the sections for each disease).
For more information: list of notifiable diseases
Santé publique France works on a daily basis to bring about positive changes in people’s health behaviours. Through a wide range of information and support services (smoking cessation, nutrition, physical activity, etc.), it provides everyone with tools to help them improve their health.
During the summer months, the agency also focuses on specific risks such as heat, mosquitoes and drowning.
For the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Santé publique France was involved in defining the prevention measures that will be applied to the general population. This work identified priorities in the context of the Games and led to recommendations for strengthening certain prevention initiatives and messages. In line with the main health risks identified, prevention focuses on three themes: heatwaves, measles and arboviruses (particularly dengue).
Distribution of our prevention materials (posters, leaflets) has been stepped up, and they have been translated into English for non-French-speaking tourists. Through a partnership with the Ile-de-France Regional Public Transport Network (RATP), prevention messages can be broadcast to the many visitors who use public transport, particularly near the competition venues.
In addition, a resurgence in measles cases and dengue cases being imported into France has led to the development of new resources, given the risks posed by these diseases in the context of the Games (measles practice pointers, leaflet on 5 good reasons to get vaccinated, arboviruses practice pointers).
Santé publique France is also working with WHO, the ECDC and the Ministry of Labour, Health and Solidarity to produce a document summarising the main prevention messages for foreign travellers who will visit France for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Find out more: catalogue of prevention documents
All year round, the Healthcare Reserve is ready to act at short notice. It could be mobilised during the Games if an exceptional health situation requiring support from additional healthcare professionals were to occur (epidemic, heatwave, etc.).
Managed by Santé publique France, the Healthcare Reserve consists of volunteers who can provide backup in any exceptional health situation requiring support from additional health professionals. Both the Ministry of Health and the directors of the regional health agencies can call upon its services, usually for short assignments, either in France or abroad.
