La salute degli immigrati. Opportunità e criticità di una situazione in evoluzione

The principles of equality and non-discrimination are especially relevant when considering people or communities who are particularly disadvantaged due to their specific frailties. This heterogeneous population includes, but is not limited to, the elderly, women, the patients suffering from chronic-degenerative diseases, the minors and the migrants. With regard to each of these groups, there is strong evidence deriving from scientific, sociological and juridical research that, even in our Western societies, their rights are often neglected or, even worse, denied. Therefore, to making sure that these rights are respected has profound implications for their status. This is most evident in the field of healthcare, where the professionals’ choices, decisions and actions impact the lives of all these people in a profound and intimate way. On the other hand, to recognize and respect the right to health of these populations must be perceived neither as a paternalistic option nor as an expression of some kind of charitable work. Otherwise, respecting the right to health of frail people generates obligations and responsibilities that have to be carefully considered, honored and embedded in the culture of all healthcare professionals as well as in the culture of the entire community. This article analyzes the economic, organizational and cultural problems and limitations that, still today and especially in the current post-pandemic phase, the elderly, women, the chronically ill, minors and migrants face in seeing their right to health recognized and respected in a country whose national health system claims to be universalist.