The Erice 58 Charter on 'The health of migrants. An equity challenge for the public health system'.

Abstract: The Erice 58 Charter titled "The Health of Migrants: a Challenge of Equity for the Public Health System", was unanimously approved at the conclusion of the 58th Residential Course of the School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine 'Giuseppe D'Alessandro' entitled "The Health of Migrants: a Challenge of Equity for the Public Health System. Epidemiological, clinical-relational, regulatory, organisational, training and public communication aspects at international, national and local level', which took place from 28 March to 2 April 2022 in Erice (Sicily, Italy), at the 'Ettore Majorana' Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture. The Course was promoted by the Italian Society of Migration Medicine (S.I.M.M.) and the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI), with the collaboration and patronage of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). 72 learners participated (mainly resident doctors in 'Hygiene and Preventive Medicine' but also other health service professionals), whose average age was 37 years; on the basis of territorial origin, 13 of the 20 Italian regions were represented. During the intense learning experience, which consisted of 18 frontal lessons (with 20 lecturers from the bio-medical, socio-anthropological and journalistic fields) and 7 working group sessions (supported by 4 classroom tutors in addition to the lecturers) in 'blended learning' mode, the various dimensions and critical issues related to the possibility of guaranteeing truly inclusive health policies for foreigners/migrants, throughout the country, were identified and discussed from an 'Health Equity' perspective. This enabled a small editorial group to draw up the basic document that, in the last session of the Course, was discussed and modified by all participants into the version of the 'Erice 58 Charter' presented here.

Erice 2018 Charter on the role of the National Health Service in the prevention of doping

The Erice 2018 Charter was unanimously approved at the conclusion of the 53rd Residential Course of the International School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine "Adapted Physical Activity in Sport, Wellness and Fitness; the role of the Departments of Prevention and of the National Health Service in doping prevention and health promotion", held on 15-19 May 2018 in Erice, Italy, at the "Ettore Majorana" Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, and promoted by the Study Group on "Movement Sciences for Health" of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health. The event was part of a larger project supported by the Ministry of Health aimed at preventing doping in the general population involved in sport and physical activities. After an intense discussion the participants focused on ten statements involving the following critical issues: responsibility, priority, message, alphabetization, networks and alliances, school promoting health, player and opportunities, competences, know-how, programming and acting. These statements provide hints to approach doping within a public health frame and summarize the role of the Departments of Prevention and NHS in promoting and coordinating preventive actions with other institutions and stakeholders. Doping represents a complex phenomenon related to cultural, social, economic and legal issues. In addition to regulatory or repressive actions, education to health and legality is proposed as the fundamental strategy to contrast doping by promoting healthy lifestyles, based on scientific knowledge and respect for legality.

[Health promotion and obesity in the workplace among health care workers of a hospital in Catania (Italy)]. / Promozione della salute e obesità in operatori sanitari di una azienda ospedaliera della provincia di Catania.

BACKGROUND: Italian Legislative Decree No. 81/2008 foresees the involvement of a "specialised physician" in activities for the promotion of health at the workplace. OBJECTIVES: These activities are aimed at modifying erroneous lifestyles (such as smoking, drinking, bad diet, etc.) which are responsible for serious illnesses and also for repercussions on the assessment of fitness for a specific task. Obesity, as we know, represents the major risk factor in the onset of metabolic, neoplastic, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and also in the increased incidence of accidents at the workplace and sick absence. METHODS: A specific questionnaire was administered to 700 health care workers of a Hospital in Catania to estimate the incidence of factors which favour the onset of these diseases: factors such as familiarity, endocrinal dysfunction problems (diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism), shift work and little physical exercise. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Statistical processing of the data confirmed, partially, that little physical exercise, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, familiarity in the > 36 age group were the major risk factors in the onset of obesity, as reported in the literature. However, contrary to the literature reports, shift work did not seem to be a risk factor in the sample under study. A programme of rehabilitation, on a voluntary basis, will be offered to those workers who are overweight/obese. This programme will involve professionals such as nutritionists, endocrinologists and psychologists, and it will aim at improving workers' health conditions as well as their work performance.

Duration of hepatitis B antibody response in children immunised with hepatitis B and compulsory vaccines.

Twenty four subjects were simultaneously administered DT toxoids, OPV and HBV vaccines at the age of 3, 4-5 and 11 months and then followed up for 2 and 4 years in order to evaluate the duration of the immune response and the need and the timing of HBV revaccination. A fall in anti-HBs titre below 10 mIU/ml was observed at the follow up in 4/24 (16.7%) of the subjects. In other 5 children (20.8%) anti-HBs titre was found to be just above 10 mIU/ml. This would suggest that a revaccination is indicated and it could be performed at the age of 5-6 years when children enter school. This schedule is simple, effective and money saving since it reduces the cost/benefit ratio and the number of visits for immunisations, and it is expected to improve the compliance for the vaccination.

Duration of the immune response to MMR vaccine in children of two age-different groups.

A combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) was administered to both a group of children aged 10-12 months simultaneously with booster doses of compulsory diphtheria-tetanus toxoids and oral poliovirus vaccine and a group of children aged 15-24 months who had previously received booster doses of the compulsory vaccines. Apart from one subject belonging to the second group who was non responder and one from the same group who did not seroconvert against the mumps virus alone, 5 to 6 weeks after MMR vaccine administration we found protective levels of antibodies against measles, mumps and rubella viruses in all children. The follow up of both groups at 3 years did not reveal difference between the two groups. Protective levels of serum antibodies against measles and mumps were found in the two groups, although a significant decline of rubella antibodies was shown (p < 0.05). Since the immunogenicity of the vaccines in the two groups did not differ, we recommend that the scientific community reconsider the vaccination schedule until now recommended. In our opinion the MMR vaccine should be administered simultaneously with booster doses of diphtheria-tetanus toxoids and oral poliovirus vaccine at 10-12 months of age because this policy improves parents' compliance, markedly reduces community costs and simplifies routine immunization schedule.