South Africa takes steps to stave off real World Cup fever

The host nation of the 2010 World Cup, South Africa, has pumped millions of Rand into its health system in a bid to overcome concerns about the potential health threats posed by the first international sporting event of this scale being held in Africa.

A South African High Commission spokesman told the BMJ that his government had had to guarantee to the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) that it would “take all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of spectators as a condition for staging the tournament.”

With up to 400 000 people estimated to be visiting the country for the tournament, health minister Aaron Motsoaledi promised that “the infrastructure of the South African National Health System, specifically a comprehensive medical service (including 24 hour emergency medical treatment) and disaster management would be put at the disposal of FIFA in the cities where the games will be played.”

He said the existing health infrastructure …