MESSINA – “I will carry out this new job at Papardo with the same commitment and the same abnegation as the previous one, when I was commissioner of the Covid 19 Office in Messina, aware, on the one hand, of the many difficulties at the moment in the world of healthcare and the complexity of the challenges I will have to face, but also of the excellence existing in this hospital, where very capable professionals work in various sectors who put their utmost effort every day to guarantee high performance and adequate services”. This was stated by the new extraordinary commissioner of the Papardo Hospital of Messina Alberto Firenze during a press conference after his inauguration, illustrating the initiatives envisaged on the occasion of the International Day against Papilloma Virus, for which the installation of a box was also envisaged informative.
HPV vaccination
“Among the important campaigns that we will implement – continues Firenze – there is this one for the HPV vaccination. The goal is to provide correct medical-scientific information on the Human Papilloma Virus and promote the concepts of primary prevention and correct lifestyles, with a focus on the importance of vaccination. In this sense, as has already been done in the past, following the guidelines established by the Regional Department for Health Activities and the Epidemiological Observatory, we want to carry out a work of involving schools, with the collaboration, if they wish, of other companies as well provincial health. In this way we want to reach the age of the target audience for vaccination more easily, promoting effective actions to raise awareness among students. Most genital HPV infections resolve spontaneously. On the other hand, a small proportion, if left untreated, can slowly evolve towards a form of cancer. The clinical diagnosis of HPV infection is performed by the doctor who detects the presence of the typical lesions. The diagnosis of cytological and/or histological alterations (i.e. of cells and tissues) caused by potentially oncogenic HPV strains is instead obtained through the execution of the Pap Test or special tests for the detection of Viral DNA. The Human Papilloma Virus is not a single Virus, but it is a large family made up of about 200 different strains of viruses that infect humans. It is also the most common sexually transmitted infection in developed countries and, to date, it is the only infection recognized as a necessary cause for the onset of cervical cancer. Holy Mary president of the Papardo Advisory Committee presented the initiative planned for the International Day against the Papilloma Virus, underlining: “In agreement with the management of the hospital, we will work to raise awareness among patients and citizens. Our campaign is aimed above all at young people, remembering that the virus is not a problem exclusively for women, but affects everyone’s health. We invite everyone to visit our information box on Saturday 4 March from 9.00 to 13.00. To welcome citizens and provide useful information will be doctors and educators.
Sidoti: “In Messina vaccinations lower than the national average”
Hpv prevention and vaccination also affects the Asp of Messina, in fact Salvatore Sidoti was also present at the conference, head of Spem, Public Health Service, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine of the Asp who observed: “The anti Papillomavirus vaccination (Anti-HPV ), included in the national vaccine plan, is offered free of charge to all eleventh-year-olds, starting with the 1996 cohort for female subjects and starting with the 2003 cohort for male subjects. In our region, thanks to the maintenance of the right to gratuity, the offer remains so until the completion of the 45th year for female subjects and until the completion of the 24th year for male subjects. However, the vaccination coverage recorded in the Sicilian Region is not in line with the provisions of the current National Vaccine Plan, and even if some peripheral provincial realities reflect the national average, in our province they are not aligned with the aforementioned average. The Regional Department for Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory has involved the school community in conscious adherence to vaccination, through the activation of targeted campaigns, as indeed already experienced by this Asp during the Covid emergency period through the “Papilloma” project , I won!” shared with Prof. Florence, with whom I have already had the pleasure of collaborating during his tenure as Commissioner for the Covid emergency for the province of Messina”.