Governance

Main actors

The Ministry of Health is the central authority responsible for coordinating policies related to the health and well-being of young people in Italy. It oversees the national governance framework by guiding the planning, implementation, and monitoring of relevant strategies. The Ministry is also responsible for defining national guidelines and initiatives aimed at promoting youth health, including prevention programmes and awareness campaigns addressing risky behaviours such as substance use, physical inactivity and unhealthy habits. The Ministry of Health is responsible for defining the Essential Levels of Assistance (Livelli Essenziali di Assistenza – LEA), then adopted through Decrees of the President of the Council of Ministers. The Higher Health Council (Consiglio Superiore di Sanità) is the technical and scientific advisory body of the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Education and Merit cooperates with the Ministry of Health to integrate health education into school curricula, implementing programmes on nutrition, and the prevention of psychological distress. 

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies also contributes by managing policies that support social inclusion, indirectly promoting youth health through initiatives aimed at improving young people’s economic and social conditions. 

The Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civic Service is involved in the promotion of physical activity among young people, working in collaboration with organisations such as the Italian National Olympic Committee (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano – CONI) to develop initiatives that encourage sport as a mean of prevention. 

The Department for Sport is also directly involved in designing and supporting national programmes that promote youth participation in sports and encourage the adoption of healthy and active lifestyles.

The Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità – ISS) is the leading institution for research, monitoring, and technical-scientific support in the field of public health in Italy. Its activities cover all dimensions of health, from prevention and health promotion to tackling cancer, chronic and neurodegenerative diseases, autism, rare diseases, infectious diseases, and behavioural and substance addictions. The ISS also provides key epidemiological data and analyses on youth health through national studies such as the PASSI surveillance system and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey, which help inform strategies and set intervention priorities at both national and regional levels.

The Italian Medicines Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco – AIFA) regulates the authorisation, marketing, and distribution of medicines.

The National Agency for Regional Health Services (Agenzia Nazionale per i Servizi Sanitari Regionali – Agenas) supports the Regions in the governance and management of the National Health Service.

General distribution of responsibilities 

In Italy, health governance is decentralised. The Ministry of Health is the central authority responsible for coordinating policies related to the health and well-being of young people, while the Regions and Autonomous Provinces have legislative and managerial competence in health matters, including responsibility for the planning, organisation and financing of health services. 

Each region implements health policies at the local level through the Local Health Authorities (Aziende Sanitarie Locali – ASLs), which manage territorial health services and provide both healthcare and social-health services. ASLs organise healthcare within their territorial area and deliver it through accredited public or private facilities.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

The National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale – SSN) is an example of cross-sectoral cooperation in Italy, bringing together a wide range of institutions and governance levels to ensure the protection and promotion of public health.

It operates as an integrated network of healthcare facilities and professionals committed to ensuring that all individuals have timely access to high-quality healthcare services, regardless of their income or social status. The SSN also plays a central role in public health promotion through prevention and information campaigns, ensuring the equitable and non-discriminatory delivery of care across the national territory.

The SSN is a coordinated public system that involves the Ministry of Health together with national entities such as the Higher Health Council (Consiglio Superiore di Sanità), the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), the National Agency for Regional Health Services (Agenzia Nazionale per i Servizi Sanitari Regionali), the Scientific Institutes for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico – IRCCS), the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes and the Italian Medicines Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco). These actors cooperate with the Regional Health Services, including Local Health Authorities (ASLs) and hospitals managed by the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces.