Frecciarosa 2018 prevention travels by train

Launch of the awareness campaign dedicated to breast cancer prevention

Photo: Frecciarosa 2018

Rome, 1 October 2018

The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group and non-profit IncontraDonna, under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and the participation of Farmindustria, are tinged in pink whilst travelling on Trenitalia trains.

The Frecciarosa 2018 initiative was presented today in Rome by Armando Bartolazzi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Adriana Bonifacino President of IncontraDonna, Sabrina De Filippis Long Haul Passenger division of Trenitalia, Enrica Giorgetti Director General of Farmindustria, and Fabrizio Nicolis President of the Foundation Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM).

Spokespersons Cesare Bocci and Carolyn Smith also attended, as did journalist Silvia Mari as moderator.

From October 2 to 31 on the FrecceInterCity, and Regional trains, IncontraDonna doctors and volunteers will offer free exams, consults, ultrasound, and informational material on breast cancer, with a look at the health of the entire community. Fighting breast cancer, promoting healthy lifestyles, and raising awareness among women and men in the name of creating a culture of prevention: this is Frecciarosa 2018.

Activities aimed at prevention will also take place in the Trenitalia halls dedicated to travellers in Roma Termini, Central Milan, Turin Porta Susa, Verona Porta Nuova, and Salerno.

This edition will pay more attention to people traveling on regional trains and Southern Italy. For the first time, in fact, Frecciarosa will also be in Sardinia on regional trains with exams, ultrasounds, and consults, on InterCity in Sicily, on Frecciargento to and from Puglia, and Frecciabianca for Reggio Calabria. A precious Health Vademecum will be distributed free of charge, full of information regarding the health of women and the family.

The last seven editions of Frecciarosa have registered an important success: more than 1,500 consults on board trains and at the stations, about 3,000 free health visits and over 600,000 Health Vademecum distributed. Over 8 million Trenitalia travellers in total were reached by the initiative.

"Even a train trip can be a good opportunity to reflect on our health - highlighted Giulia Grillo, Minister of Health. With this in mind, we wanted to create the Health Vademecum with non-profit IncontraDonna Onlus Association and FS Italiane, which will be distributed to passengers on Trenitalia trains to promote a culture of adopting a healthy lifestyle and adherence to screening programs as main prevention tools. We want to add a small yet useful element to awareness and information on the easiest ways to reduce the risks of developing many diseases. It takes little to correct bad habits that have devastating health impacts, especially if they are perpetuated for a long time. By adopting healthy behaviours, starting from a proper diet, rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, committing to perform daily physical activity, not smoking (or trying to quit), and the moderate consumption of alcohol. We also want to raise awareness of the fact that adhering to screening controls offered by the National Health Service means improving the duration and quality of our lives. Early diagnosis, in fact, allows us to intervene on diseases when they are still in their infancy and thus increase the chances of curing them and recovering. The Frecciarossa initiative allows us to reach citizens of all ages. Every day is a great day to start taking care of yourself and the people we love.” "

"Frecciarosa 2018 - said Adriana Bonifacino, President of IncontraDonna Onlus - brings two innovations on board the train: the portable ultrasound, called 'Barbara's echograph', as an extension of the clinical visit, and the Pianeta Seno app, a free download, which gives the user access to the locations of senology and screening mammography centres throughout the country. A culture of prevention is fundamental given that every year in Italy about 53,000 women receive the diagnosis of breast cancer (1-2% in men) and around 800,000 live with cancer, of which 30,000 in an advanced or chronic stage."

"The train promotes knowledge and communication - said Gianfranco Battisti, CEO and General Manager of FS Italiane - and it can be, for people traveling, the place where they can receive specialist exams and inquire about behaviours to follow to prevent diseases and pathologies. Frecciarosa is an initiative that FS Italiane has been promoting for eight years to make women and men aware of a culture of prevention. The results seen in prior editions were significant and further increase our strong sense of social responsibility, a distinctive feature of the Italian railway workers family. We plan to invest more time and resources for the sustainable development over the entire country, and this is why the target audience has already been increased for this latest edition. In fact, doctors and volunteers will be in Sardinia on board the Regional trains, as well as the InterCity and the Freccetrains in the rest of Italy."

CardFRECCIA members, who have given their consent to be contacted, are entitled to discount vouchers for travel, on October 31, 2018, on all FrecciarossaFrecciargentoFrecciabiancaInterCity, and InterCityNotte trains in all classes and at all levels of service.

Even all of FS Italiane Group's media is metaphorically tinged with pink to illustrate and promote the initiatives planned for Frecciarosa 2018.