Greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution are closely interconnected environmental challenges with major implications for human health and global sustainability. Many of the activities that drive climate change also release pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter, which directly affect air quality and population health. This review synthesises current evidence on the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric pollutants, the atmospheric processes that influence air quality, and the epidemiological evidence linking air pollution exposure to adverse health outcomes. The paper also discusses the public health co-benefits of climate mitigation strategies, including the transition to cleaner energy systems, sustainable transport policies, and urban environmental interventions. Finally, the review places air pollution and climate change within the broader framework of human security, highlighting their implications for health security, environmental stability, food systems, and economic resilience. By integrating perspectives from environmental epidemiology, public health, and global environmental governance, this review provides a multidisciplinary overview of the links between greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, and human well-being, and underscores the importance of coordinated policy responses to address these interconnected challenges.

Background/Objectives: A recent report by the Italian Ministry of Health showed that a high proportion of Emergency Department (ED) visits exceed the maximum recommended thresholds for both waiting time and overall length of stay. As no overall quantitative data are available on the magnitude, temporal evolution, and underlying drivers of ED performance from Southern Italian regions, we analyzed ED data from the Abruzzo region during the years 2017–2024, and evaluated potential predictors of prolonged waiting and process time. Methods: Official, administrative data from all the regional EDs were collected, and information on personnel, location and organizational change was obtained through a dedicated survey. All analyses were stratified and/or adjusted by triage code, hospital, age and sex. Results: From 2017 to 2024, a total of 3,563,565 accesses were recorded in the 16 regional EDs. From 2021, waiting time for the first visit steadily and progressively increased, reaching an average of 78 min in 2024 (+56.0%), largely exceeding recommended thresholds. The most critical growth was observed for the most severe patients, as mean waiting time for yellow and red admissions peaked at 81 (+100%) and 39 (+290%) minutes (m) in 2024, respectively. The mean process time also substantially increased in post-pandemic years, especially for yellow (from 300 m to 476 m) and red codes (from 330 m to 607 m). The trend was similar for both genders, in all age-classes, and higher in larger hospitals. Multivariable analyses confirmed a significant increase in ED time over the years. Conclusions: These findings indicate critical organizational and clinical issues in the regional emergency care system, requiring immediate action. The Regional Healthcare System recently tried to reduce ED overcrowding with specific plans, the impact of which requires urgent evaluation.

Background and Objectives: Clinical risk management is essential to patient safety. Nurses are strategically positioned to identify unsafe conditions, near misses, and adverse events. This study assessed nurses’ knowledge of selected clinical risk management definitions, perceptions of patient safety, and self-reported experience of patient-safety event reporting in a cardiovascular hospital in Southern Italy. Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous survey was conducted among registered nurses using a structured questionnaire. Knowledge was measured through a 0–4 index based on correct answers regarding safety culture, near miss, sentinel event, and incident reporting. Perceived overall patient safety was analyzed as an ordinal outcome, and ever reporting of patient-safety events as a binary outcome. Multivariable regression models explored associated factors. Results: The study included 88 nurses; 75.0% were female, and the median age was 47 years (IQR 37–54). Overall, 77.3% reported previous updating on risk management. The median knowledge index was 3 (IQR 2–4), and 62.5% answered at least three of four items correctly. Patient-safety culture domains received high importance scores, with medians ranging from 9 to 10. Overall patient safety was rated as good, very good, or excellent by 63.6% of respondents, and 61.4% had reported at least one patient-safety event. Knowledge was associated with gender and years of professional experience. Higher perceived safety was associated with perceived technological adequacy and patient confidence in care. Conclusions: Beyond the setting-specific findings, the study illustrates how combining factual knowledge, perceived safety, reporting experience, and locally relevant process indicators may support organizational diagnosis and help identify areas requiring more focused quality-improvement assessment.