Health Impact Assessment Practice and Potential for Integration within Environmental Impact and Strategic Environmental Assessments in Italy

Avoiding or minimizing potential environmental impact is the driving idea behind protecting a population\u27s health via Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs). However, both are often carried out without any systematic approach. This paper describes the findings of a review of HIA, EIA and SEA experiences carried out by the authors, who act as institutional competent subjects at the national and regional levels in Italy. The analysis of how health is tackled in EIA and SEA procedures could support the definition of a protocol for the integration of HIA with EIA and SEA. Although EIA and SEA approaches include the aim of protecting health, significant technical and methodological gaps are present when assessing health systematically, and their basic principles regarding assessment are unsatisfactory for promoting and addressing healthcare concepts stated by the WHO. HIA is still poorly integrated into the decision-making process, screening and monitoring phases are only occasionally implemented, and operational details are not well-defined. The collaborative approach of institutions involved in environment and health is a core element in a systematic advancement toward supporting effective decisions and effective protection of the environment and health. At the Italian national level, the definition of guidelines and tools for HIA, also in relation with EIA and SEA, is of great interest

Nuovi strumenti per valutare l\u27impatto sulla salute

XXXXLa Valutazione di impatto sulla salute (VIS) consiste in "Una combinazione di procedure, metodi e strumenti con i quali si possono stimare gli effetti potenziali sulla salute di una popolazione di una politica, programma o progetto, e stimare la distribuzione di tali effetti all\u27interno della popolazione". Il percorso di VIS pertanto permette di individuare soluzioni alternative o misure utili a ridurre gli impatti sulla salute e supporta cos? il decisore nelle scelte, anche in contesti complessi

La valutazione di Impatto sulla salute uno strumento a supporto delle decisioni

XXXLa valutazione di impatto della salute, VIS, serve a fornire informazioni a chi pianifica e a chi decide riguardo alle conseguenze di ci? che si decide. Questo compito semplice e relativamente logico non ? sempre facile da trasformare in azioni appropriate. Dietro a ciascuno dei tre elementi, la VIS, la pianificazione e ele decisioni ci sono metodi, strumenti, esperienze conecrete e impianti teorici che devono essere esaminati e conosciuti, per poter supportare al meglio le attivit? da svolgere

Prevalence of Antigens/Antibodies Against Hepatitis B and C Viruses in A Cohort of Italian Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Admitted to Two Hospital Wards in Italy: A Pivotal Retrospective Study

Background/Objectives: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) is a disease with a poor prognosis. Hepatitis B (HBV)/Hepatitis C (HCV) viruses are hepatotropic pathogens with pro-carcinogenic properties able to attack also the pancreas. Although several trials, mainly carried out in the USA and in the Eastern Countries, strongly suggested that HBV/HCV exert a role in PAC development, no study on this topic was still performed in Italy. Through this present work, we aimed to assess HBV antigens/antibodies and anti-HCV antibodies prevalence in a small cohort of Italian patients with PAC, irrespective of the other risk factors for PAC development, like smoking, alcohol drinking, and diabetes. Methods: This pivotal-retrospective-study was led both at Surgery Unit of Maggiore Hospital, (Bologna) and at Unit of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy of Sandro Pertini Hospital, (Rome). Data concerning age, sex, pancreatic cancer localization (head, body, tail) and serum HBV/HCV profiles of subjects with a histological/radiological/biochemical diagnosis of PAC were collected from files concerning pancreatectomy and endoscopic-retrograde-cholangiopancreatography (ERCPs). Results: It was found that 4 patients were HBsAg positive and 28 were HBsAb/HBcAb-positive, with a prevalence equal to 1% and 7.5%, respectively. Sixteen patients were HCV positive, with a prevalence equal to 4.3%. Conclusions: Our observational study describes, for the first time in our Country, HBsAg, HBsAb/HBcAb and HCV prevalence in a small-sized cohort of patients suffering from PAC. Despite no definitive conclusions on the association between HBV/HCV infection and PAC may be drawn, our research could represent the basis for additional epidemiological/histological nationwide trials in Italy