Health of athletes and visitors not at risk in Beijing:IOC
5/8/2008 17:01
The health of athletes and visitors coming to Beijing will not be at risk
despite persistent concerns about the city's air quality, the International
Olympic Committee said today.
Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC's Medical
Commission, told the 102th IOC session that data of Beijing's air quality is
being assessed on an hourly basis around the clock.
"We used the World Health
Organization standards for the evaluation... Those standards are fairly tough to
meet, but in many aspects, the Beijing area does so," said Ljungqvist.
"I am
sure and confident that the air quality will not pose major problems to the
athletes and to visitors coming to Beijing," he added.
With three days to go
before the start of the Beijing Olympics, the organizers are facing intensive
criticism from the international media which claimed Beijing's air pollution
levels fail to meet the World Health Organization standards.
Ljungqvist said
that the WHO representative in Beijing had expressed, during a private meeting
three days ago, his "extreme dissatisfaction" with the exaggeration of the air
pollution problem in media.
According to Ljungqvist, of the three WHO
standards, the middle one, namely the interim standard which is used for
developing countries, is applied to Beijing.
"The WHO standards have never
intended for guiding people who are temporary visitors," said the 77-year-old
Swede.
"The standards are, and should be used, intended by the IOC to be
guidelines for the authorities to protect the health of the residents of that
area.
"They are for the permanent residents. Those standards have been
established to (guard against) long-term risks," he added.
Ljungqvist also
said that a haze that covered Beijing recently was much due to the hot and humid
weather and sometimes was mistaken for pollution.
"The misty air is not a
feature of pollution but a feature of evaporation and humidity," he
said.
Beijing has invested billions of US dollars to improve its environment
since it was awarded the 2008 Games, and a number of drastic measures have been
implemented to guarantee good air quality during the Aug. 8-24 event, including
shutting down construction sites and reducing the operations of polluting
industries in and around Beijing.
The IOC top medical official paid tributes
to China for its efforts to combat pollution.
"They have done a lot. The
matter has come under control. It will be to the benefit of local residents,"
said Ljungqvist.
"The Beijing Olympics will be a good example of what can be
done with the Games in a city."
Xinhua
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