Italy's Emilia region asks for funds to fight West Nile virus while Calabria reports health service gains

In Emilia-Romagna, regional councilor Marta Evangelisti (FdI) urged the regional government to allocate urgent funds to municipalities for the heightened costs of disinfestation measures against the West Nile virus. The regional health service has issued an alert after confirming the virus in six of the region’s nine provinces, noting an accelerating spread that has so far spared the Romagna area. Evangelisti highlighted the financial and staffing strains on local administrations and called for central coordination, diagnostic kit provision, public information campaigns, and expanded surveillance.

Meanwhile, in Calabria, Gandolfo Miserendino, director general of Azienda Zero, presented data showing a substantial improvement in the region’s compliance with the national Livelli Essenziali di Assistenza (LEA). Between 2020 and 2024, Calabria’s LEA score rose from 129.3 to 189 points, the largest increase nationwide, contributing to the termination of the health sector’s prior commissioner oversight. Miserendino stressed ongoing work to address remaining gaps and further enhance service quality.