Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) hosted Silvia Zanetti and Manizha Khakimova, students from Akkon University of Human Sciences in Berlin, Germany. The students came to Georgia to conduct a study, the aim of which is to assess the knowledge, health risk perception, and practices related to air pollution and its impact on health among the population of Tbilisi. The six-month study is being carried out with the participation of TMA students Nanuka Katchiuri and Mariam Kevkhishvili.

In parallel with the study, the German students conducted an Eco-Health workshop titled "Invisible Pollutants, Visible Impact" for their peers. The seminar discussed how air pollution, particles, and nanoparticles affect human and environmental health. “Using a ‘One Health’ approach, we showed how pollutants move through ecosystems and why pollution-related diseases cannot be addressed solely at the individual patient level and why environmental risks require coordinated political action,” said Silvia Zanetti.

Air pollution is one of the most significant health challenges globally and locally. The recent study showed that overall knowledge and awareness about air pollution and its health effects are relatively low, as well as protective behaviors (e.g., mask use, checking the Air Quality Index, avoiding high air pollution zones). Yet, risk perception and worry about air pollution's health impact are very higpublih. The workshop emphasized that air pollution is not only an environmental issue, but also a medical and public health challenge that future doctors must be prepared to solve.

As part of the visit to TMA, the students also conducted a workshop for the administration of the Academy. What does it mean for TMA to be an eco-friendly university? In response to this question, representatives of various departments of TMA held a discussion, the purpose of which was to understand the importance of integrated health, sustainability, and environmental responsibility in the context of medical education. The meeting was devoted to a discussion on what it means for TMA to be an environmentally responsible medical university and how this vision can be implemented in practice. As a result of the discussion, directions for incorporating integrated health into the teaching process, expanding research capabilities, and developing an environmentally sustainable campus were identified, which reflects TMA's aspiration to become an eco-friendly university, where health and the environment are interrelated values.