by Health Editorial Staff
The call of the experts gathered for the extraordinary National Public Health Conference of the Italian Hygiene Society. The Mediterranean diet and correct use of antibiotics are also among the golden rules for preserving health
Prevention is a fundamental pillar for the sustainability of the National Health Service. Even more so in the face of the aging of the population which goes hand in hand with the increase in pathologies which today are treatable, but with many resources which unfortunately are starting to run out in our expenses. It’s not just about economic resources, but also about human resources: it is therefore essential to invest in prevention to ensure that our citizens get sick as late as possible or not at all. Thus Roberta Siliquini, president of the Italian Hygiene Society (SItI), explains why prevention was chosen as the central theme of the Extraordinary National Conference on Public Health, organized by SItI in recent days at Villa Erba in Cernobbio.
Save the NHS
We are very satisfied in having completed an event which saw more than a thousand hygienists engaged in mandatory prevention issues – adds Siliquini, at the end of the work -. It was an extremely operational conference, from which we emerged increased in terms of awareness of the actions undertaken and to be undertaken, interacting more and more with the institutions and the government. As also underlined by Silvio Brusaferro, past president of the Istituto Superiore di Sanit and member of the Italian Hygiene Society, the current challenge is to be able to guarantee and update the National Health Service with its values and principles, in the global transition that we are living. In Public Health, training, continuous updating and experience paths are essential. Everything passes through competent professionals capable of guiding and supporting the choices of people and the community. During the three days of meetings organized by SItI, therefore, we took stock of many issues related to the prevention of public health, from the safety of water and the environment to correct food and nutrition, from lifestyles to healthy aging , up to antibiotic resistance.
Aging healthy
A crucial topic, in a rapidly aging country like Italy, is that of healthy aging, linked to the importance for the elderly of having a community that protects them, allowing them a social life that hygienists consider fundamental. In several sessions it was reiterated how important it is to keep the elderly in a good state of health, physically and mentally active by following correct lifestyles and nutrition. The constantly evolving Italian socio-demographic situation is fundamental for the NHS for the elderly of the coming years to maintain a good state of life – says Antonio Ferro past president of SItI -: if from a demographic point of view Italy, together with Japan , the one with the most advanced average age, we still have to recover potentially good and quality years of life compared to Northern European countries. It is essential that this segment of the population maintains healthy lifestyles. Healthcare, and in particular Prevention Departments, must work to keep these people healthy through physical activity and correct nutrition, avoiding alcohol abuse and smoking. All this will make it possible to improve the health of the elderly overall, thanks also to careful use of oncological screening active in the population. Another element on which Public Health will have to work is that of integration with all other bodies and in particular the Municipalities because a healthy life can only be led if the environment is prepared, an environment where there are cycle paths, clean air, parks and a community that envelops and allows you to maintain a healthy life.
Recover the Mediterranean diet
Prevention then involves correct nutrition: this is why it is crucial to return to following the Mediterranean diet, which has remained a staple only for a minority percentage of Italians. By adopting it, in fact, you can achieve a 30% reduction in cardiovascular events and diabetes complications, but also a 14% reduction in mortality from cancer and a 14%-18% decrease in the incidence of breast cancer – recalls Elena Alonzo , coordinator of the SItI Operators College -. Fruit, vegetables, fish, especially blue fish, extra virgin olive oil, whole grains are all foods that allow you, with simplicity, to bring tasty foods to the table that help you improve your health. A lot of work is being done on this front with the Ministry of Health, thanks to the establishment of the technical table on Nutritional Safety which, as its first objective, aims to promote the consumption, every day, of five portions of different colors of fruit and vegetables. Solid studies based on scientific evidence at a global level have demonstrated, in fact, how such consumption avoids an enormous number of deaths and years spent in poor health. The Mediterranean diet prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and numerous types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Another fundamental element is the reduction of salt consumption. Strong scientific evidence demonstrates how it is sufficient to gradually reduce its use, perhaps replacing it with aromatic herbs or spices, to have a notable reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes and hypertension.
Use antibiotics well
A final reminder from the experts at the conference comes on the subject of antimicrobial resistance, a problem that tends, over time, to increase rather than decrease. There must be a policy of prudent use of antibiotics: they must not be used badly or too much – warns, comments Gianni Rezza, doctor and epidemiologist, former Director General of Health Prevention at the Ministry of Health and research director of the Istituto Superiore di Sanit -. Antibiotics are too precious a tool to lose their effectiveness and we must adopt all those procedures that ensure that germs within hospitals, from RSAs to hospitals, do not circulate or that their circulation tends to stop. If the hospital is the place where epidemics of antibiotic resistance are amplified, it is also true that there is a problem in the community. Some antibiotics that were extremely effective against common germs are no longer effective because they are used too much and incorrectly. Information must be provided to citizens so that they do not undertake antibiotic therapy themselves. Close collaboration with general practitioners who instruct their patients is also necessary. In recent years, the use, abuse and mis-use of antibiotics, at community level, has decreased somewhat – concludes the expert -, but more must be done to ensure that these precious tools that we have remain effective and are used appropriately.
October 17, 2023 (modified October 17, 2023 | 5:02 pm)
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED