Support to farm labourers in Campania, Calabria and Sicily

The Italian Constitution enshrines the protection of health as a fundamental right of the individual, realised through a national health system that ensures the provision of health services to all citizens and that should guarantee universal access to the equitable provision of health services. Yet, in practice, this right is often disregarded. The complexity of the NHS structure and access procedures, regulatory and bureaucratic loopholes, and lack of resources determine inequalities in the possibility of using the service, often to the detriment of groups that are already in a vulnerable state. This awareness prompted EMERGENCY to start up social and health support projects in Calabria, Campania and Sicily, mainly in favour of migrants and seasonal workers, who are often victims of labour exploitation systems. Their working and living conditions are precarious: the labourers work for about 10-12 hours a day in an asphyxiating climate, without protection and most of them live in dilapidated buildings or informal settlements with no drinking water and no toilets. The harsh living and working conditions have a strong impact on their physical and mental wellbeing, but barriers in accessing the NHS often undermine their ability to seek treatment. This stems from both administrative and bureaucratic obstacles and practical difficulties in reaching health facilities. In the case of migrants, moreover, they are often unaware of their rights and struggle to find their way around the complex Italian healthcare system. The almost total absence of cultural mediators in public health centres represents a substantial barrier to access. 

In close collaboration with the local Local Health Authorities, EMERGENCY intends to respond to the social and health needs of agricultural labourers in serious conditions of vulnerability through the provision of mediation, socio-administrative support and support to the care pathway, and through the direct provision of medical, nursing and psychological services. In order to carry out an effective intervention, not to replace the existing health system and to implement a holistic approach that takes into account the different social determinants of health, EMERGENCY has developed a fruitful collaboration with a network of partners in the area (public administration, Third Sector actors and private bodies).