Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS)

Mission

At the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), the main centre for research, control and technical-scientific advice on public health in Italy, 1800 people, including researchers, technicians and administrative staff, work daily with the aim of protecting the citizens' health.

The main activities of the ISS are distributed in 6 Departments, 16 National Centres, 2 Reference Centres, 5 technical-scientific services and a Notified Body for the assessment of the suitability of medical devices.

Alongside the Ministry of Health, the Regions and the entire National Health Service (NHS), our structures guide health policies on the basis of scientific evidence. From prevention and health promotion to the fight against cancer and chronic and neurodegenerative diseases, from autism to rare diseases, from infectious diseases to pathological addictions, we deal with health at three hundred and sixty degrees.

The object of the activity of our laboratories is everything that people come into contact with on a daily basis and that can have effects on health: from ionizing radiation to electro-frequencies, chemicals, contaminants from the air, soil, water, nutrition and nutrition throughout its supply chain.

The quality and safety of care and the assessment of health technologies are also activities, as the population ages and innovation increases, in which we also participate for the sustainability of the entire system.

If research and control are the heart of the Institute's activity and mainly serve the National Health Service, some channels have also been dedicated to citizens. Help lines guide users and direct them to specialized centres, guaranteeing clear and qualified information on subjects such as rare diseases, sexually transmitted diseases and addictions. The museum, open by reservation to schools and citizens, preserves the historical memory of the Institute, as a wealth of knowledge offered to all to develop scientific culture as well as health promotion.