[Hygienic and sanitary aspects in urban planning: contradiction in national and local urban legislation regarding public health]. / Aspetti igienico-sanitari in ambito urbanistico: conflittualità nelle norme urbanistiche nazionali e locali in tema di sanità pubblica.

Nowadays, the majority of world population lives in urban areas and this portion is going to increase in the coming decades. The health impact of urban areas is well established and described in scientific literature. Italian health and hygiene legislation dealing with urban health is fragmented and not coordinated with the regulation about environment and city planning. The overlapping of legal competences between different authorities and the conflict of attribution between the Central State and Regional Governments deeply contributed to generate uncertainty. The authors here analyse the Italian regulatory framework and depict its lacks in terms of public health protection.

[Italian Society of Hygiene (SItI) recommendations for a healthy, safe and sustainable housing]. / Documento d'indirizzo della Società italiana di igiene (SItI) per una casa sana, sicura e sostenibile.

As part of the strategies to promote health in urban areas, the Italian Society of Hygiene (SItI) has updated its recommendations for healthy, safe and sustainable housing. They were issued by an ad hoc SitI working group on the basis of the best available evidence retrieved from a review of the scientific and legal literature on the topic and in line with World Health Organisation, European Union, and other international bodies statements. SItI document includes recommendations for environmental comfort, mental and social wellbeing, environmental protection as well as the safety of people who dwell houses. In addition to typical issues (such as relative humidity parameters, ventilation, and safety rules), SItI recommendations address innovative aspects such as building compatibility between different functions, building safety management and green area design. In this context, SItI recommendations emphasise the need of a strengthened interaction between architects and public health experts to ensure the complete wellbeing in houses where people spend more than 50% of their lives.

[The contribution of health professionals in the integration of health and environmental protection]. / Il contributo dei professionisti della salute per l'integrazione delle funzioni sanitarie e ambientali.

This article first illustrates the EU and national regulatory frameworks related to policies and integrated actions for health and environmental protection, with particular reference to evaluation of the impact of the environment on health, then provides definitions of "evaluation of health impact" and of "environmental epidemiology" and provides synthetic proposals on procedures and operational levels (national, regional and local). Finally, the responsibilities of regional and local government bodies in supporting ARPA, Departments of Prevention of local health departments and physicians.

[Institutional changes for the future of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine in Italy]. / I cambiamenti istituzionali per il futuro dell'igiene e del Dipartimento di Prevenzione.

Following a brief overview of the initiatives undertaken since 2005 by the Italian Society of Hygiene (SitI) regarding he future of Hygiene and Public Health in Italy, the authors examine the latest proposals for renewing the organizational structure of the departments of Prevention, as well as for training programs and function of public health physicians. These changes, however, may be insufficient for a real renewal of public health, in the absence of institutional changes which would allocate administrative management of healthcare functions to local government, with community participation in health promotion. The planned establishment of "metropolitan cities" in 2012 is an opportunity for the SItI to show that the management of health administrative functions by the new local government organs is compatible with the institutional framework, is useful for achieving the objectives of health promotion and disease prevention, and facilitates health policy in local governments.

[Introduction to the thematic session "Environment and health. Sustainable risk and communication in Public Health" (National Conference of Public Health. Italian Society of Hygiene. Naples 15-17 October 2009)]. / Introduzione alla sessione tematica "Ambiente e salute. Rischio sostenibile e comunicazione in Sanità Pubblica"(SItI Conferenza Nazionale Sanità Pubblica, Napoli 15-16-17.10.2009).

The World Health Organization and European Union have for quite some time drawn attention to the relationship between environment and health, the environmental risks responsible for a part of disease burden and the role of primary prevention in eliminating these risks. The above international organisms have identified objectives, strategies and actions for promoting and safeguarding health through protection and improvement of the environment but these have not been considered in the planning and regulatory processes regarding primary prevention strategies in Italy. The aims of this session are to highlight political and institutional weaknesses in this regard, demonstrate the efficacy of "good practices" and their feasibility if adequate and dedicated resources are made available, and call for investments for the environment and health.