Calabria region earmarks €12 million for Alto Jonio area and approves health service budgets

The Calabria regional government has approved a €12 million investment, sourced from national and EU funds, to implement the "La terra dei miti" strategy in the Alto Jonio Cosentino internal area. The programme targets roughly 40,000 residents across 17 municipalities, aiming to curb depopulation by strengthening essential services, expanding digital and tele‑medicine solutions, and promoting sustainable tourism and local agro‑food production. Regional assessor Gianluca Gallo said the plan will use innovation such as artificial‑intelligence‑driven smart systems to improve health‑care and overall quality of life.

In the same session, the regional council approved the operating budgets of the provincial health authorities and hospital organisations. It also allocated about €6 million to municipalities hit by severe March 2026 storms, introduced a certification regime for "Palestre della Salute", and earmarked an additional €4 million for medical specialization contracts as part of a broader €187 million regional plan for education, training and health services.