Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunità
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Despite substantial progress towards measles and rubella control, outbreaks continue to threaten elimination goals worldwide. ⋯ Elimination of measles and rubella in Italy will require a substantial improvement in both commitment of the 21 Regions and activity of the whole country towards the WHO goals.
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Homeless persons can be considered a vulnerable group and several studies showed in this group an higher prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases, a lower mental health status, and a higher abuse of alcohol. The aim of our study was to investigate the health status of homeless in Padua, Italy, administering a questionnaire composed by SF-36 and EQ-5D. ⋯ Compared to the general population, the homeless reported a worse mental health, and this showed that they represent a particularly vulnerable group. Moreover they had a higher percentage of incorrect habits for their health (alcoholism and tobacco addiction), they suffered from chronic conditions, and tended to have a higher frequency of accesses to the emergency rooms. It would be better to improve the state of health of the homeless, through initiatives that could reduce the causes of homelessness, and that could prevent the onset of diseases in this group.