Meridiano Sanità

Meridiano Sanità 2026

The 21st edition of the Meridiano Sanità Forum will take place in Rome on November 10, 2026 at Spazio Esposizioni. During the event, the Think Tank’s Annual Report will be presented and discussions will focus on the key priorities for the Italian healthcare sector, including:

• demographic, epidemiological and socio-economic trends
• health literacy and communication for a more informed healthcare system
• prevention as an investment in health and longevity
• women’s health and gender-specific medicine
• clinical research and the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry
• digital innovation
• the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and artificial intelligence in healthcare
• funding, sustainability and governance of the Italian National Health Service (SSN)
• performance of regional healthcare systems
• ensuring the provision of Essential Levels of Care (LEA).

This edition is supported through the unrestricted contribution of AstraZeneca, GSK, MSD, Pfizer, Sanofi and Teva.

Twenty Years of Meridiano Sanità

In 2025, the Meridiano Sanità Think Tank marked its twentieth anniversary, celebrating two decades of analysis and dialogue that have accompanied profound transformations in the geopolitical, economic, demographic, and healthcare landscape.

Economic crises, new conflicts, and a global pandemic have had a significant impact on both the perceived and actual health of the Italian population. At the same time, research and innovation have made extraordinary progress, opening up new therapeutic opportunities, such as advanced therapies, and new organizational models, such as digital health, a concept that was already known but lacked many of the infrastructures available today. In this context of uncertainty and emerging opportunities, health continues to be not only a fundamental right, but also a strategic investment and a key driver of competitiveness and growth for the entire country.

Over the past twenty years, Meridiano Sanità has not merely documented changes in the international and domestic environment. It has also analyzed their impact on public health and on the Italian National Health Service, consistently highlighting the need to realign resources with a demand for healthcare that is growing rapidly and continuously. Among the many issues addressed over the years, four major challenges remain unresolved:

1. The long-term economic and financial sustainability of the healthcare system
2. The insufficient recognition and valorization of healthcare professionals
3. Persistent regional inequalities in access to and quality of care
4. Barriers to the competitiveness of the Life Sciences sector

Looking ahead, it is clear that there is no single solution capable of unlocking additional resources without jeopardizing other essential priorities that every country, and every citizen, needs in order to grow and prosper. A balanced mix of policies is required: a more inclusive labor market, starting with active immigration management and higher participation of women and young people in the workforce; stronger support for birth rates; a fairer and more efficient tax system; the full utilization of European funds; and a renewed commitment to attracting foreign investment.