Statement from Lori Tremmel Freeman, Chief Executive Officer at NACCHO

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the voice of the country’s over 3,300 local health departments, commends local health departments for their proactive work in leading local preparedness activities for the upcoming World Cup events to protect the health of their residents, tournament participants, and visiting fans.

Local health department leaders have worked for months to prepare for millions of people to visit 11 host cities and their surrounding areas across the country, 39 team base camps, and multiple fan fests. The influx of travelers will create unique public health challenges, particularly in the context of multiple existing public health challenges occurring globally. Local health department expertise has been critical to plan for a wide variety of threats. This includes work to prepare for, monitor, and prevent the spread of communicable diseases, such as the highly contagious measles. In addition, they have worked to prevent foodborne illnesses, monitor air quality and wastewater, and prepare for extreme heat as temperatures in some areas are reaching triple digits. While much of that work is behind the scenes, they have also worked to ensure visitors and residents alike have the information they need by executing creative health and safety campaigns for visitors and staying in communication with healthcare providers and local partners in case of a crisis. Preparing for events of this magnitude requires proactive planning. Local health departments have been instrumental in the lead up to the games to prevent widespread public health threats.

For example:

• In Missouri, the Jackson County Public Health Department has created an awareness campaign by distributing “Red Cards,” like soccer referee penalty cards, to encourage the public to make smart and healthy decisions during the tournament, from staying hydrated to knowing their STI status, and addressing common health threats during large gatherings in the summer.
• In Texas, Austin Public Health is focused on enhanced monitoring, coordination, and communication to address potential health risks, including implementing a special event air monitoring program that will detect any difference in air quality, alerting the department to any possible emerging public health threat. Department officials will also monitor hospital visits to track any upticks in diseases and work with healthcare providers to communicate important updates.
• In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health has developed helpful guidance and recommendations for visitors, partners, and healthcare providers that provides training resources, screening tools, and “Know Before You Go” information around extreme heat, air quality, and medical care locations. The department also distributed a Health Advisory to roughly 4,000 healthcare providers throughout the region, encouraging healthcare facilities to review their emergency response plans and to report conditions that require immediate notification.
• In New Jersey, the Middle-Brook Regional Health Commission has enhanced its disease monitoring efforts to include daily monitoring for all diseases and has embedded a World Cup theme into all public communications that focus on immunizations, food safety, and heat-related illness prevention.

Local health department planning for the games has been ongoing for months. NACCHO hosted a virtual congressional briefing, titled “Strengthening Public Health Emergency Preparedness for the 2026 World Cup,” that allowed public health officials from host cities to discuss preparation measures for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The panel represented communities in Texas, Missouri, and New Jersey, and presenters shared insights and coordination strategies currently underway in their regions.

NACCHO is proud to support local health departments in building healthier, more resilient communities and equipping local health departments with the tools they need to effectively communicate risk and improve public health outcomes throughout jurisdictions across the country. Visit NACCHO Voice for the latest updates and resources around the World Cup.

About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.

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SOURCE NACCHO (National Association of County & City Health Officials)