THE NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN 1998-2000

Key words: National health plan, Priority targets, Mother and child health

The Italian Government presented the new National Health Plan for the years 1998- 2000. The plan addresses 5 priority targets: promoting healthy lifestyles, reducing the burden of the major diseases, improving the environment, improving the care for the disadvantaged, upgrading the quality of specific areas (for example: the information system) to european standards. Specific points addressed by the NHP include the need for a modification of the financing system (3% of the national health budget will be devoted to specific targets) and the importance of establishing closer links between health and social services. Although mother and child health is no more considered a priority area, many of the priority targets directly imply interventions on this population, and particularly on adolescents. Many health professionals involved in child health services, incuding paediatricians, will probably have to reconsider their role within the NHS.