Letters
Social determinants of health
Volume 201 - Issue 10

The health impacts of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: proactive planning is required, but who will do this?

Author:  Patrick Harris

Med J Aust 2014; 201 (10): 574-575. || doi: 10.5694/mja14.00743
Published online: 17 November 2014
Population health implications of the 2012 Queensland health workforce cuts
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To the Editor: The recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are a timely reminder of the 2018 Games planned for the City of Gold Coast. In 2013, the Queensland Government, in collaboration with Gold Coast City Council, produced a legacy plan to identify actions to be taken across government and to invite community input and engagement with the Games, including creating a health legacy.1 However, in the document supporting this plan, only two explicit health actions stand out: an accessible and inclusive active living and healthy eating program, and a local health and knowledge precinct to help generate economic development.2

In early 2013, separate to legacy planning, the Gold Coast City Council also commissioned a social and health impact assessment (IA). The IA, which is not publicly available, reviewed the evidence base to reveal a more mixed picture about health concerns than is included in the legacy plan, and found:

  • Mass gatherings provide ideal conditions for influenza transmission and amplification of preseasonal viruses, even in contexts of low seasonal influenza activity.3 Cases of Neisseria meningitides type b and leptospirosis occurring during sporting events have been documented, the latter associated with heavy rains.4 Risks to mental health and from sexually transmissible infections can be mitigated by prior planning.
  • With regard to exposure to environmental risks, in addition to the more obvious areas of health and safety and food hygiene, transport infrastructure and planning for Games also have major health implications.5
  • The population health benefits of Games are at risk of being inequitable. The anticipated “festival effect” of Games, whereby the whole population increases healthy behaviour such as physical activity, has yet to be demonstrated.6 The inevitable increased police presence heightens the risk of negative health consequences for already at-risk groups such as homeless people, injecting drug users, and sex workers.7

Since the IA was conducted, there have been three suspected cases of Ebola virus disease — later proven not to be Ebola — in Queensland, including the Gold Coast.

System preparedness for 2018 across the health system and non-health agencies is required. However, cuts to the Queensland health system in 2012 resulted in the loss of around 4000 staff (5%) and the dismantling of population health services. Given that population health is the point in the health system for proactive health-focused planning, who will do the required comprehensive planning for the Games to ensure the health of the community is fully promoted and protected?

Author

  • Patrick Harris1
  • 1. Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: patrick.harris@sydney.edu.au

Competing interests

I was subcontracted to undertake the health component of the impact assessment. I am permitted to publish the findings and use them for teaching and training purposes. In the past, I have worked with Queensland Health's tropical population health services to build their capacity to undertake health impact assessments as part of intersectoral planning processes.

Acknowledgements

The impact assessment was funded by the Gold Coast City Council but was undertaken independently. The views expressed are mine, and this letter is based on, but independent of, the impact assessment. Alison Ziller provided valuable feedback on early drafts.

References

View this article on Wiley Online Library