The Rio Olympic games will not be cancelled, delayed or moved because of the Zika threat, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said.
IOC medical director Richard Budgett however said that the committee would continue to monitor the situation closely.
Budgett was responding to a call by Canadian health professor Amir Attaran for the games to be postponed or moved.
Prof Attaran said the influx of visitors to the South American country would result in the avoidable births of malformed babies.
“If the IOC and the World Health Organisation (WHO) do not have the generosity of heart to delay the games to prevent children being born and disabled their whole lives, then they’re among the cruellest institutions in the world,” Prof Attaran said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press news agency.
In an article for the Harvard Public Review he says that Rio de Janeiro is more affected by Zika than anyone expected and that all it takes is one infected traveller to start a process that could ultimately result in a “full-blown global health disaster”.
He argues that if the Games go ahead, it would be especially unfair on countries like Nigeria, India and Indonesia, which do not have the same resources to fight Zika as Brazil.
The IOC – which adheres to the WHO’s advice – insisted there were no plans to relocate or postpone the games.
The IOC says that the mosquito threat will not be so great during Brazil’s winter months.
“The clear statements from WHO that there should be no restrictions on travel and trade means there is no justification for cancelling, delaying, postponing or moving the Rio Games,” Dr Budgett said.
“The IOC will continue to monitor the situation very closely and work with the WHO, and we’re confident as we’ve been advised by the experts that the situation will improve over the next three months.”
The 2016 Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to August 21.
Record numbers of countries are participating in a record number of sports. More than 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), including first time entrants Kosovo and South Sudan, will take part.
