CiROCCO’s 1st webinar took place in December 2024, and we would like to thank the more than 60 participants, as well as all the experts that made this event a success! This webinar was organized by the University of Cyprus, with the support of the National Observatory of Athens and the ISENSE Group of ICCS; and was dedicated to the Health Impacts of Desert Dust Storms, and aimed to engage stakeholders and gatekeepers to facilitate Public Policy Transformation. During the webinar we discussed:
- The sharp rise in hospital admissions
- Exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions,
- The direct role of particulate matter on public health during desert dust storms
Keynotes: Health Effects of Desert Dust Storm Events in the South-Eastern Mediterranean: Perceptions and Practices of Local Stakeholders / Dr. Panayiotis Kouis (Medical School, University of Cyprus)
Health Effects of Desert Dust Storms: Insights from the Field and the Community / Evi Kinni, PhD Candidate (School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology)
Discussion panel with a focus on policy implementation and stakeholder engagement followed:
Chrysanthos Savvides (Head of Air Quality and Strategic Planning Section, Department of Labour Inspection, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Cyprus)
Andrie Panayiotou (Associate Professor in Public Health, Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus)
Melanie Christodoulou (Senior Nursing Officer, Educational Sector, Nursing Services, Ministry of Health, Cyprus)
Prof. Panayiotis Yiallouros (Professor of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Cyprus), provided valuable feedback and closing remarks.
Participants also had the opportunity to give their feedback through a live survey, providing valuable information that will help us improve future webinars and maximize stakeholder engagement.
We are looking forward to the next installments in the CiROCCO webinar series!
