A recommended communicable disease surveillance and control network to secure a healthy and happy olympic game

Accurate surveillance and timely control o f the potential outbreak o f infectious diseases is an integral component for organizing big sport events such as Olympics. It relates to the health and safety o f all o f the event participants, the stability o f the society and the credibility o f the event organizing committee and the country in which the event is hold. The current advancement o f information and communication technology (ICT) provides a great opportunity fo r fast aggregation o f huge amount o f relevant data, accurate analysis and assessment to identify potential epidemics, fast reporting, accurate control measures, timely identification and utilization o f resources and supplies for infectious disease management. However, technology in itself is inadequate for achieving the above objectives. An evidence-based, emergency responsive management strategy, coordinated public health surveillance team from the local community, government and central government level that are able to mobilize the international resources in emergent situations are critical for the successful surveillance and control o f any potential outbreak o f infectious diseases. This paper will discuss the functions o f the communicable disease surveillance and control network. The building blocks o f the network and the strategies to facilitate its implementation are addressed.