Since 2017, every year in early summer an information campaign about the Mosquito control programme of Central Macedonia targeting citizens and tourists is performed in front of the White tower, the symbol of Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. In 2020 a focus was made on different research projects implemented in the area scoping at the improvement of decision-making for mosquito control actions and predictions of nuisance and risk for mosquito-borne diseases.

Figure 1. Banner of the EWSMD project at the two-days “White tower” information campaign in front of the white tower in Thessaloniki, 04-05/07-2020. Photo on the right: Prof. Eleni Katragkou (Department of Climatology and Meteorology, AUTH), Dr. Spiros Mourelatos (Ecodevelopment S.A., coordinator), Dr. Xanthi Tseni (Ecodevelopment S.A., responsible for GIS and EO data) and MSc Sandra Gewehr (Ecodevelopment S.A., Director of R&D department, responsible for communication) (from the left to the right).

Figure 2. (from the left to the right) Prof. Eleni Ktragkou (Department of Climatology and Meteorology, AUTH), Dr. Spiros Mourelatos (Ecodevelopment S.A., coordinator), and Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Governor of Central Macedonia, and President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

Photo 1: The governor of the region of Central Macedonia and President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Apostolos Tzitzikostas with Spiros Mourelatos, President of Ecodevelopment at the White Tower Event 04-05/07/2020 in front of the banner for the “Prototype Early Warning System for West Nile Virus” referring to the EIC PRIZE initiative and the EWSMD banner. The message on the video wall is declaring “stay safe from mosquitoes too” referring to the CoViD-19 pandemic context during summer 2020.

Figure 3. Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of Central Macedonia observes live mosquito larvae in the fish tank at the two-days “White tower” mosquito campaign 2020.

Figure 4. Mr. Konstantinos Iakovou, mandated municipal councilor of the mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of Central Macedonia and Mr. Sofoklis Kourtidis, General Director of the Directorate Environmental Health and Sanitation Control at the Region of Central Macedonia (from the left to the right) at the two-days “White tower” mosquito campaign 2020.