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Italy: A Country Overview 151

Social Marketing and Health Communication in Italy
In 2000, a national law (Legge No. 150 del 7 giugno 2000 [Law No. 150, June 7,
2000]) was approved that represents a milestone for the development of public
communication in Italy because it regulates information and communication ac-
tivities in public institutions and defines the educational training required of oper-
ators who work in these professional fields.
Since then, social marketing and communication have been acquiring impor-
tance and, in recent years, are becoming part of prevention and health promotion
strategies, as was specified by recent national and regional planning documents
discussed later.
The National Health Plan 2006–2008 (Piano Sanitario Nazionale 2006–2008, in
Italian) states the importance “of developing strategies for coherent and effective
communication, since this is a necessary and decisive instrument to reach the ob-
jectives of risk prevention and health promotion” (translation from the Ministero
della Salute [Ministry of Health], 2006, p. 29). Coherently, the National Prevention
Plan 2005–2007, Piano Nazionale della Prevenzione 2005–2007, in Italian (Intesa
Stato Regioni del 23 marzo 2005 [Regions State Agreement, March 23, 2005]), and
the Italian Gaining Health program reaffirm the strategic and central role of com-
munication for the development of prevention activities. In particular, the Gaining
Health program states that it “favors health communication,” defining communi-
cation as “an integrated component of the prevention interventions regarding the
Gaining Health program” and “an important instrument for information and
knowledge” (translation from the Decreto del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri 4
maggio 2007, p. 8).
The Social and Health Plan 2008–2010 (Piano Sociale e Sanitario 2008–2010, in
Italian) of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Deliberazione dell’Assemblea Legislativa
della Regione Emilia-Romagna 22 maggio 2008, No. 175 [Deliberation of the
Legislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region No. 175, May 22, 2008]),
along with communication activities, focuses its attention on social marketing as a
tool to create partnership for the purpose of empowering citizens. Meanwhile, in
the Prevention Plan of the Veneto Region (Delibera della Giunta Regionale del
Veneto No. 188 del 31 gennaio 2006 [Deliberation of the Regional Council of Veneto
No. 188, January 31, 2006]), among the interventions to reduce obesity, there exists
a specific recommendation for the development of a social marketing project to
promote health through food vending machines.
To support the diffusion of effective communication and social marketing
strategies for health promotion, the Italian Association of Public and Institutional
Communication has activated the research area, Social Marketing and Health
Communication, and a National Social Marketing Work Group, which gather the