Of authorities’ preparedness were moderate (<3.5), and only slightly higher in the health versus the educational or other government services. shvs who recognized the severity of dds and potential impact on asthmatic children were more likely to support school-based interventions for dds events (or = 7.3, 95% ci: 2.1-25.3). conclusions: asthma management practices in school settings in cyprus are suboptimal and responses during dds are fragmented. while shv’s awareness and support for interventions is high, this is not reflected in current practices. a concerted effort is needed for adoption of policies and implementation of action plans for dds within school settings. key messages: suboptimal asthma management policies and practices were found to be implemented in schools in cyprus, a country highly exposed to dust events. school health visitors recognize the health impact of desert dust on asthmatic children and support the plan for dust- mitigation programmes in schools, despite authorities’ low preparedness