Why Public Health Preparedness Matters for Emerging Air Pollution Risks
Air pollution is commonly associated with visible sources such as traffic emissions, industrial activities, or urban smog. Yet, some of the most important environmental risks for human health are much harder to detect. Ultrafine particles (UFPs) and micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are examples of emerging pollutants that are invisible to the naked eye but may have significant implications for public health.
Against this backdrop, public health preparedness becomes increasingly important. Understanding these risks early, can help societies respond before they become more difficult to address.
This is where EODY, the National Public Health Organization of Greece, plays a key role in UPRISE.
Linking Environmental Risks to Public Health Protection
EODY is the national public health authority of Greece, operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. Its mission is to protect, promote and improve population health by strengthening the capacity of the national healthcare system and supporting public health services in the early detection, monitoring, assessment, and response to health threats.
While EODY is widely recognized for its role in communicable disease surveillance and response, its work also includes health promotion, prevention of chronic and non-communicable diseases, risk assessment, public awareness, and evidence-based recommendations to protect public health.
This broader public health perspective is highly relevant to UPRISE, which seeks to advance understanding of how exposure to ultrafine particles and micro- and nanoplastics may influence pregnancy, fetal development, and health outcomes during early life.
Preparing for emerging environmental health challenges
In recent years, public concern about air pollution has grown. At the same time, there is increasing scientific attention on emerging pollutants such as ultrafine particles and micro- and nanoplastics, including those linked to the overconsumption and environmental dispersion of plastic materials.
EODY’s participation in UPRISE reflects the importance of strengthening public health systems for emerging environmental risks
As a competent public health authority, EODY recognizes the need to better understand new and complex forms of air pollution and their possible health impacts. This preparedness-oriented approach is central to prevention: by identifying and assessing potential risks at an early stage, public health systems are better positioned to develop effective interventions, provide appropriate guidance, and support strategies that protect population health.
Making invisible risks visible
A central objective of UPRISE is to make invisible risks visible. This includes generating high-quality scientific evidence about exposures that people cannot easily see, detect or measure in their everyday lives.
EODY contributes to this objective, by bringing together environmental scientists and engineers who collaborate with specialized health professionals. Their work helps connect environmental parameters with health indicators, supporting a better understanding of how exposure data can be interpreted from a public health perspective.
This integration is essential, because environmental monitoring alone cannot fully explain health impacts. To understand what invisible pollutants may mean for people’s health, environmental data must be linked with health knowledge, epidemiological expertise, and public health priorities.
Advancing Knowledge Through International and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
UPRISE brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of partners from across Europe, to address an important research question: how may exposure to ultrafine particles and micro- and nanoplastics affect health from the earliest stages of life?
For EODY, this collaboration offers an opportunity to exchange expertise with project partners and strengthen knowledge in an emerging field. It also creates a foundation for future cooperation in public health programs related to environmental risks, prevention, and health protection.
By contributing its public health perspective, EODY helps ensure that UPRISE findings are not only scientifically relevant, but also meaningful for public health systems, decision-makers, and communities.
From Scientific Research to Public Health Readiness
Emerging environmental risks require early attention, strong evidence, and coordinated action. Through its involvement in UPRISE, EODY supports the project’s ambition to improve understanding of invisible air pollution exposures and their potential implications for human health.
By integrating environmental research with public health preparedness, EODY helps strengthen one of the key messages of UPRISE: that early recognition and understanding of emerging risks are essential for protecting current and future generations.