HEALTH POLICY AND CHILDREN’S HEALTH IN ITALY

Key words: Rare disease centres, Biliary atresia, Congenital deafness, Cochlear implants

The organizational models of the supra-regional centres for rare diseases in some European countries are compared by reporting the cases of biliary atresia and cochlear implants in children. Once again Italy departs from Europe; the causes are examined in the present work. Moreover, the important role of the family paediatrician, scientific and cultural associations is underlined.