The second quarter of 2023 has been full of exciting events in Italy.
XLI AIDM National Congress “Fighting pain: multidisciplinary approaches and gender differences” took place on 21-23 April in Catania, Sicily. The most important pathologies characterized by pain have been examined from a gender perspective under the expert guidance of Antonella Vezzani AIDM President. About forty speakers, and many AIDM members spoke reporting up-to-date and inspiring results and scientific interpretations. On the first day, a round table on the dissemination of gender medicine was held, attended by representatives of the Instituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS – Italian High Institute of Health) and a number of presidents of scientific societies that have set up commissions dedicated to Gender Medicine.
In addition to a poster session, a panel was reserved for free communications and 10 young members had the opportunity to present their papers. The last day ended with the AIDM national assembly. The Congress was a resounding success, with more than 220 members attending from across the country.
At the end of March, the Health Ministry and the University and Research Ministry issued a decree to adopt and implement the National Training Plan for Gender Medicine in implementation of art. 3 of Law 3/2018. The Plan focuses on specific learning needs of each professional in order to guarantee quality and propriety together with equity and inclusion in Medicine. How does this plan work? It identifies in detail the relevant actors (who?), the application areas (where?), the ways or manners (how?) and the contents (what?) of formation in Gender medicine. At the end the Plan specifies how to check the application of these rules.
AIDM members in several part of Italy organized meetings and events to spread Gender Medicine with a multidisciplinary approach that fits well with the characteristics of the AIDM where almost all medical specialties are represented.
AIDM’s collaboration with VIPROM (Victim Protection in Medicine) – a European project to train trainers on the care of women victims of domestic violence – is ongoing. In April a woman doctor was killed by a patient in Pisa. This tragic event prompted all Italian doctors to demonstrate to ask the Government for concrete actions against violence and increased protection for health workers, especially women doctors who are the most vulnerable to violence.
Silvana Capasso
MWIA National Coordinator
Antonella Vezzani
AIDM National President