In this number:
FIRST FLOOR
No nuclear contamination
With regard to the accident that occurred in the Slovenian nuclear power plant of Krsko, and the consequent alert launched by the European Commission, the National Agency for the Protection of the Environment (Apat), consulted by the Ministry, confirms that the accident did not concern emissions of radioactive material into the surrounding environment, but it was a breakdown of the water cooling system of the production core with the spillage of the appropriate contaminated liquid into the external tank specially designated for the core. The tank has completely absorbed the contaminated coolant without any emission into the external environment and, therefore, any risk of nuclear contamination of our country can be excluded. On the other hand, the efficiency of our permanent nuclear warning systems is confirmed. The Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies will continue to monitor the evolution of the phenomenon in real time in constant contact with the responsible authorities of the European Union and Slovenia.
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FROM THE MINISTRY
Children to protect
Regarding the sad story of the child of Nigerian origin who died in the Treviso hospital where he was hospitalized after having undergone circumcision performed outside health facilities, the Undersecretary for Health Francesca Martini, expressing her deepest sympathy for the pain of the child's parents, declared "our country must protect the weakest sections of the population, and above all children, from barbaric ritual practices carried out outside safe health contexts. We can no longer turn a blind eye: national politics must confront with the indiscriminate use of practices that can cause irreversible damage. I will write to family doctors and paediatricians of free choice asking them to carry out a work of prevention and information for families at risk. But that's not enough. The time has come for Europe to take on this problem too. I will ask for guidelines to be formulated at European level to combat the phenomenon of clandestine surgical practices for ritual purposes".
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Border controls for disease control
Undersecretary for Health Francesca Martini spoke at the Round Table on "Transboundary pests and diseases" held in Rome as part of the FAO Conference on World Food Security. Below is an excerpt from the speech given by the Undersecretary:
"The High Level Conference that Italy has the honor of hosting is of exceptional importance since issues crucial to the global balance of the planet are brought to global attention. (…) (…) Going into the merits of the issues that will be discussed in this table, it is believed that the repeal of customs barriers between the Member States of the European Union, and the consequent abolition of border controls between these countries, as well as the increase in Community trade and imports of goods from third countries, undoubtedly represent a possible risk factor for the spread of animal diseases
