Mass gatherings and public health : the experience of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games / edited by Agis D. Tsouros and Panos A. Efstathiou.

Includes bibliographic references.

Pt. 1. International experience and framework of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games<BR> 1. Overview and framework / Andy Stergachis and Agis D. Tsouros<BR> 2. Operational framework for health and for the national and subnational jurisdictions for public health for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games / Athina Kirlessi, Agis D. Tsouros, Michael S. Sabatakakis, Ellie Tragakes, Theodora Stavrou and Panos A. Efstathiou<P> Pt. 2. Epidemiological surveillance and response and public health preparedness for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games<BR> 3. Preparing epidemiological surveillance and response for communicable diseases / Nikoletta Mavroidi, Takis Panagiotopoulos, Xanthi Dedoukou, Paraskevi Tsonou, Efthimios Kalabalikis, Evangelia Piperaki, Vasiliki Pityriga, Katerina Karageorgou, Sophia Hatzianastasiou, Agoritsa Baka, Olga Daligarou, Maria Tseroni, Georgia Nikolopoulou, Elpidophoros Sotiriades, Christopher Bartlett and George Saroglou<BR> 4. Experience of epidemiological surveillance and response for communicable diseases / Takis Panagiotopoulos, Nikoletta Mavroidi, Georgia Spala, Johannes Schnitzler, Eleni Kalamara, Helen Triantafyllou, Asimoula Oikonomopoulou, Theano Georgakopoulou, Athina Spilioti, Kassiani Mellou, Ioanna Magaziotou, Stefanos Bonovas, Kostas Danis, Denis Coulombier and George Saroglou<BR> 5. Syndromic surveillance system / Urania Dafni, Kassi Gkolfinopoulou, Aggeliki Lambrou, Dimitrios Papamichail, Giannis Karagiannis, Kostas Athanasakis, Georgios Ferentinos, Olga Adrami, George Kouvatseas, Zoi Tsourti, Demosthenes Panagiotakos, Vassilios Raftopoulos, Tracee Treadwell, Scott D. Williams, George Saroglou and Sotirios Tsiodras<BR> 6. Public health preparedness for incidents involving the potential deliberate use of biological and chemical agents or radionuclear material / Agoritsa Baka, Petros Isaakidis, Georgios Ferentinos, Nikoletta Mavroidi, Vasiliki Panagiotopoulou, Dimitrios Iliopoulos, Kalliopi Papadima, Maurizio Barbeschi and George Saroglou<P> Pt. 3. Addressing the environmental health challenges of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games / 7. Environmental health surveillance and management of food and water safety / Christos Hadjichristodoulou, Varvara Mouchtouri and Jenny Kourea-Kremastinou<BR> 8. Food safety and the role of the Hellenic Food Authority / Despina Vassiliadou, Christos Apostolopoulos, Dimitra Panteleaki, Konstantinos Barberis and Nikos Katsaros<BR> 9. Monitoring drinking-water quality in holding tanks at Olympic venues / Nicholaos D. Katsiris, Olga I. Kavoura, Georgios A. Zervas, Ioanna P. Damikouka<BR> 10. Laboratory support in environmental health monitoring / Emmanouil N. Velonakis, Seraphem Lukussias, Elias Papadopoulos, Anna Katsiafliaka, Sophia Vourli, Despina Perimeni and Alkiviadis Vatopoulos<BR> 11. Mosquito surveillance and control / Nikolaos Vakalis, Eleni Patsoula and Anna Samanidou-Voyadjoglou<P> Pt. 4. Prehospital and hospital preparedness and care and disease prevention and health promotion activities for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games<BR> 12. Preparedness of emergency medical services / Anastasia Zygoura, Michalis Syndos and Vasilios Kekeris<BR> 13. Olympic hospital preparedness and the case of Sismanogleion General Hospital / Marianthi Vafeiadou and Adamantia Egglezopoulou<BR> 14. Health Services DePt.ment of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organizing Committee / Costas Parisis, Demetrios Pyrros, Konstantinos Ditsios, Polydoros Chios, Spyros Spyrou, Eleftherios Thireos and Athanasios Papamichos<BR> 15. Disease prevention and health promotion activities / Agis D. Tsouros, Maroulio Lekka, Panos Minogiannis and Andy Stergachis<P> Pt. 5. Coordination, international cooperation and overall conclusions and lessons from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games<BR> 16. Health sector command, coordination and communication / Panos A. Efstathiou, Agis D. Tsouros, Ann Knebel and Maurizio Barbeschi<BR> 17. International cooperation for public health / Agis D. Tsouros, Panos A. Efs

Large-scale mass gatherings, such as the Olympic Games, represent significant challenges for the entire health sector of host countries. Emerging global public health threats of natural or deliberate nature increase considerably the health and safety vulnerability of mass gatherings. Major areas of public health responsibility include health care capacity and mass-casualty preparedness; disease surveillance and outbreak response; environmental health and food safety; public information and health promotion; public health preparedness and response to incidents potentially involving the deliberate use of explosives, biological and chemical agents or radionuclear material; and leadership, operations and unified command. This book comprehensively and systematically presents the experience of and lessons learned from the public health aspects of the preparations and conduct of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Documenting this experience can be a source of valuable information and knowledge for governments at all levels and communities in building their capacity for not only large-scale events but also preparing to deal with the avian influenza pandemic threat or other emergencies such as flooding and phenomena often associated with climate change.