Nardi (Salutequity), ‘anti-flu campaign ok in 16 regions but do better’

2023-10-18 12:34:20

“The flu campaign for frail elderly people started off on the right foot in 16 Regions, between the end of September and mid-October. Campania, Lazio, PA Bolzano, PA Trento and Puglia were gradually added to Tuscany, Lombardy and Liguria. Calabria, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Piedmont, Sicily, Umbria and Veneto. However, more and better needs to be done. The other Regions that are missing must now step up the pace.” Thus at time.news Salute Sabrina Nardi, Salutequità councilor, on the occasion of the meeting “Prevention challenge for equity in the Regions – Vaccinations in the elderly and organized screening: value, resources and accessibility” promoted in Rome by Salutequità with the unconditional contribution by Sanofi.

“We have to do a lot, we have to do well and we have to do it with the commitment of everyone, from family doctors to prevention departments, to nurses, to specialists – remarks Nardi – Let’s inform people correctly and take a step towards this objective to be achieved. Prevention is certainly a great ingredient for the NHS, for its sustainability, just as it is important for people’s health”. On prevention “we need an important change of pace – insists Nardi – In 2021 four Regions did not guarantee the Lea of ​​prevention and 16 worsened performances from 2019 to 2021 and things did not go better in 2022. Due to the pandemic, many oncological screenings were missed and we recovered patchily across the territory. We went at different speeds. We recovered 91 percent of services in the North, 27% in the Center and 46% in the South”.

On the vaccine front, “for anti-flu we have vaccinated just over one in two elderly people in 2022-23. For this reason, the change of pace that we hope for is necessary – he concludes – just as it is necessary to monitor the LEAs (we do not have a core indicator for vaccinations in the elderly) just as it is important to update the essential levels of assistance themselves. Objectives: to make the vaccination calendar always in step with the times, to extend oncological screening programs for all women with the same methods throughout the country. It is a match that we cannot lose, it is a challenge that must be taken up and action must be taken to ensure prevention.”