Established in 1978 by oncologist Franco Pannuti, 1985 to present Foundation ANT Italy ONLUS – the largest nonprofit for free home-based specialist care for cancer patients and prevention – has treated about 120,000 people in 10 Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, Lazio, Marche, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, Umbria – updated data as of December 2016).
Home care
Every year 10,000 people are cared for in their homes by 20 multi-disciplinary ANT teams that provide specialized hospital and social welfare care, with comprehensive care for the cancer patient and his or her family. A total of 520 professionals work for the Foundation (doctors, nurses, psychologists, nutritionists, physical therapists, pharmacists, social and health workers, etc.) who are joined by more than 2,000 volunteers engaged in the fundraising activities necessary to financially support the work of the health staff.
The support offered by ANT addresses all kinds of problems from the perspective of the patient’s overall well-being. As of 2015, ANT’s oncology home care service enjoys the quality certificate UNI EN ISO 9001:2008 issued by Globe s.r.l., and in 2016 ANT signed a noninterest-bearing Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health which commits the parties to define, support and implement a program of interventions to achieve specific objectives, consistent with the provisions of Law No. 15 March 2010, no. 38 for access to palliative care and pain therapy. ANT has also long been involved in cancer prevention with early detection projects for melanoma, thyroid, gynecological and breast malignancies.
How ANT works
Since its inception in 2004, more than 148,000 patients in 79 Italian provinces have been seen free of charge (as of December 2016). Prevention campaigns are implemented in ANT outpatient clinics located in different regions, in health care facilities used on a no-fee basis, and on the Mobile Ambulatory – Prevention BUS. The vehicle, equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic instrumentation (digital mammogram, ultrasound and videodermatoscope), allows for nationwide examinations. ANT operates in Italy through 120 delegations, where there is a very active volunteer presence. At the local level, delegations are responsible for fundraising initiatives and arranging the necessary logistics for home care, as well as outreach activities. Taking 2016 as a reference, ANT finances most of its activities thanks to donations from private citizens (29 percent) and organized fundraising events (26 percent) to the 5×1000 contribution (15 percent) to bequests and donations (9 percent). Fifteen percent of what it raises comes from public funds.
A study conducted by Human Foundation on the social impact of ANT‘s activities found that for every euro invested in the foundation’s activities, the value produced is 1.90 euros. The evaluation was carried out following the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology. ANT is the 9th largest non-profit organization in the national 5×1000 ranking in the volunteer category. ANT Foundation operates in the name ofEubiosia (from the Greek, life in dignity).
