Italy continues to play a key role in strengthening maternal and child healthcare in El Salvador through the project “Nascere con affetto”, a €3.5 million initiative carried out by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. As part of the program, a team of eight specialists from the University of Pavia and the San Matteo Hospital recently completed a technical mission designed to support the consolidation of the country’s national health system.
The mission, held from 17 to 29 November, combined intensive training with on-site mentoring, offering Salvadoran medical staff the chance to update their clinical skills and exchange knowledge with their Italian counterparts. Professor Gian Battista Parigi, pediatric surgeon, and Dr. Stefano Ghirardello, head of Neonatology at San Matteo, visited the main neonatal intensive care units across the country, identifying key areas where improvements could enhance the quality of care.
At the same time, Dr. Luca Lungarotti, radiology and ultrasound specialist, and pediatric surgeon Dr. Alessandro Raffaele led eleven days of training for 135 Salvadoran healthcare professionals. Their sessions focused on emergency surgical ultrasound techniques and on the safe placement of venous catheters in newborns and children requiring medium- and high-complexity procedures.
Throughout the mission, the Italian specialists also worked alongside local teams in real clinical settings, supporting the management of demanding cases. Pediatric urologist Dr. Luigi Avolio and pediatric surgeon Dr. Giovanna Riccipetitoni participated in complex surgeries, contributing directly to the advanced training of Salvadoran surgeons.
A key component of “Nascere con affetto” is the development of medical expertise in genetics. For nearly a year, Dr. Elena Rossi and Dr. Fabio Sirchia have been collaborating with professionals at the Bloom Hospital in San Salvador - El Salvador’s national referral center for neonatal and pediatric care - to establish a genetics laboratory and provide high-level training.