Child healthcare services offered by the Vatican City State in its national territory and in extra-territorial neighboring Italian areas

Pediatric healthcare activity related to the Vatican City State is carried out at secondary and tertiary levels in the two main pediatric territorial and extra-territorial medical centers, which are administered by the Vatican: the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital and the Mother and Child pediatric Department of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Medical Center. Both centers are recognized by the Italian State and internationally with the formal legal status of Scientific Institutes for Clinical Research. The relations established between the Holy See, in the person of the Secretary of State, the Board of Directors, the President of the Board, and the Board of Auditors regulate the management of the two medical centers. The child healthcare and research activity of the two Vatican State administered medical centers is described in this article.