Healthy ageing – happy ageing: Health Promotion for Older People in Italy

Health Promotion for Older People (HP4OP) is a relevant issue in Italy, one of the countries where people live the longest. Strategies, programmes and projects are set and planned at the national level, mainly by the Ministry of Health within the National Health Service, but strong competencies, funds and resources derive also from the Government, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Moreover, European funds contribute to programmes and projects in this field. After strategic implementation at the regional level, programmes and projects are carried out at the local level under the National Health Service, mainly by the Local Health Authorities in conjunction with municipalities and other relevant stakeholders such as NGOs, the voluntary sector, families and educational and religious entities, etc. Even though Italy has been engaged in HP4OP to improve active life expectancy since 1992, a lack of planning and resources for HP4OP, policy diversification at the regional level and a prevailing interest in care-assistance rather than health promotion and prevention have prevented consistent implementation of HP4OP throughout the country.