VENETO IN ACTION

In view of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Prevention, Food Safety and Veterinary Directorate of the Veneto Region (through its participation in the Veneto in Action programme) has developed a strategic plan in order to help support the strategic objectives of the Olympic Games.

Here are the key points:

A. Combating sedentary lifestyles by offering opportunities for movement and physical activity accessible to all
The strategy outlined in the Regional Prevention Plan 2020-2025, approved by Decree of the Regional Council no. 1858 of 29/12/2021, provides for the promotion of physical activity, developing projects already in place across the Region, with a view to transversality and multisectorality, through the following objectives:

• promotion of physical activity aimed at the sedentary population, through inclusive interventions differentiated for specific settings (such as school, work and community), focused both on daily life and organised events, in order to create environments that promote a healthy lifestyle
• promotion of physical activity in the population with one or more risk factors or specific diseases, through the preparation of structured exercise programmes in special private facilities (health gyms)
• creation of specific contexts suitable for the promotion of motor activity with structural and environmental interventions (e.g. Urban Health initiatives);
• awareness-raising through communication, information and training initiatives, aimed at both the population and health professionals, to promote the importance of physical activity.

B. Ensuring the quality of water intended for human consumption, and reduce water consumption
The quality of water intended for human consumption increasingly requires attention and care by all local, regional and national authorities with competence in the field. Water, especially in highly anthropised territories and in the light of ongoing climate change, is one of the most fragile and at risk resources, also due to impacts on human health. The Water Safety Plans, with a specific methodological approach (which includes the monitoring of microbiological, chemical and physical parameters, specific to each territory) are a tool to guarantee the quality of water intended for human consumption.  The following actions are planned within the Veneto in Action programme:

• Updating the operational protocol for monitoring water intended for human consumption in the event of a radiation or nuclear emergency
• Implementing the radioactivity control activities detailed in the Regional Plan for the control of radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption

C. Promoting food safety and hygiene in local restaurants
Companies in the food sector that prepare and supply food to the final consumer, or sell it directly to the same, have an important role in protecting the consumer from contracting food-borne diseases (FBD). Under the theme of "sustainable local economic development", following remodulation, the aim is to promote sustainable tourism also through the promotion of a sustainability certification system in the HoReCa sector. 

D. Making workplaces healthier and safer for everyone
Health and safety in the workplace, as well as being a fundamental right of every current and future worker, contributes decisively to supporting lasting, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, thus constituting one of the most important strategic lines of the Veneto Region, in a joint commitment that involves all: Public Administration, Companies, Social Partners, Schools. These initiatives include:

• prevention measures in the construction sites of the Major Projects
• safety in the workplace training courses
• specific communication initiatives, already planned as part of phase 2 of the communication campaign "Safety is not someone else's responsibility, it is everyone's responsibility", launched in October 2023.

E. Activating the epidemic intelligence network through event-based surveillance (EBS) in the Veneto region.
Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) is a key component of Epidemic Intelligence (EI) systems. It includes a set of procedures aimed at identifying news from unstructured public information sources (Open Source Intelligence – OSINT), relating to events with a possible impact on public health, so as to constitute possible early warnings of a health emergency. Actions include:

• definition of the perimeter of the event of interest to be monitored: Event-Based Surveillance at national level and specific regional surveillance, in particular in the Belluno area, home of the large gathering events for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
• prompt identification of potential acute events with a possible impact on public health, or health risks, through the verification of warning signals
• training contact staff for infectious diseases of the Hygiene and Public Health Services of the Local Health Authorities (AULSS) of Veneto on the event-based surveillance system
• enabling the contact persons of existing alert systems at national/international level to promptly report the events detected according to the regulations and procedures in force.

For more information on the activities of the Prevention, Food Safety and Veterinary Directorate, visit the website: https://www.regione.veneto.it/web/sanita/prevenzione-sicurezza-alimentare-veterinaria