The Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital was signed today at the Foreign Ministry in the presence of Minister Antonio Tajani. The document was signed by Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, and Professor Tiziano Onesti, President of the Hospital.
At the heart of the agreement between the Foreign Ministry and the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital is healthcare for children with severe illnesses coming from Italian Cooperation partner countries. Furthermore, the Memorandum aims to improve the quality of paediatric healthcare and contribute to the development of hospital facilities dedicated to children in partner countries, in collaboration with local authorities.
The initiative aims to further develop the joint initiatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hospital, which is now one of the largest paediatric research centres in Europe, connected to major international centres in the field and a point of reference for the health of children and adolescents coming from across Italy and abroad. The Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital is, in fact, one of the healthcare facilities that since last year has welcomed some of the many Palestinian children evacuated from Gaza for treatment in Italy.
The signing of the Memorandum also establishes a permanent coordination unit involving representatives of the Ministry, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and the Hospital. The aim is to identify specific initiatives to be implemented with funding from the Italian Cooperation in the areas of child care, medical and healthcare training, and support for local healthcare programs.