Italian health agencies expand free vaccination and screening programmes

Regional health authorities in Italy are rolling out free preventive programmes targeting both adults and children. In Campania, the "Ponte" project, a partnership between Cittadinanzattiva, LinkHealth and local health agencies, provided information on adult vaccines and cancer screenings to workers and students, training 350 health ambassadors and producing outreach materials such as HPV‑vaccination videos and anti‑bullying campaigns. The initiative involved multiple ASL units in Naples, Salerno and Benevento and received support from major pharmaceutical companies.

Separately, the health authority in Teramo (Abruzzo) launched a free screening service for language development in children under three years old, offering tests in the provinces of Teramo and Giulianova to identify early speech‑related disorders and refer affected children for specialist care.