The Meloni government’s decision not to extend the 25 million euro fund to combat eating and nutrition disorders has sparked concern among patient family associations and experts in the field. The fund, which expired on October 31, 2023, was originally introduced by the Draghi government with the 2022 Budget, aimed at strengthening the network of multidisciplinary clinics dedicated to the treatment of eating disorders.
The failure to extend the fund could result in the closure of many health services for the treatment of eating disorders, putting the condition of over 22 thousand patients at risk. The vast majority of these patients are adolescents or in developmental age, with 60% concentrated in Southern Italy and the Islands.
The alarm about the funding cut was raised by 40 patient family associations, who wrote a letter to the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, urging for the extension of the appropriations.
Laura Dalla Ragione, an expert on eating disorders, emphasized the surprise and concern over the lack of fund extension, highlighting the growing spread of eating disorders in Italy. It is estimated that at least 3.2 million people in Italy are affected by eating disorders, with an increasing number of cases among lower age groups, including children as young as 8-12 years old.
The closure of government-funded health services could exacerbate regional differences in the distribution of resources and put patients and families in trouble, as well as the healthcare workers employed in the last two years.
The online platform of the centers dedicated to the treatment of nutrition and eating disorders reports that, by 2023, there will be 126 structures spread across the entire national territory, with the largest number of centers located in the Northern Regions. The closure of government-funded health services would further widen the gap in access to treatment for patients across different regions.
The decision not to extend the fund has raised concerns about the future of healthcare services for patients with eating disorders in Italy, and calls for urgent action from the government to address the potential consequences of the funding cut.