[The birth of the Italian workers' compensation authority and its contribution to improving health conditions of workers and general population].

In 1898 the compulsory work accident insurance was introduced in the Italian legislation: both public and private organizations could provide insurance to the workers. In 1933 the Cassa Nazionale Infortuni (founded in 1884) was unified to other small public funds in a single body, the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL). During the post-war recovery INAIL founded hospitals and wards fully dedicated to work traumas (Orthopaedic Traumatic Centres or Burns Centres) and opened rehabilitation and prosthetic centres for injured workers. In this view, INAIL and Italian National Olympic Committee supported the first official Paralympic Games, held in Rome in 1960. Nowadays many hospitals originally owned by INAIL belong to the Italian National Health System and provide healthcare also to general population. However INAIL continues its mission in workers' protection and confirms its main role in the field of accident prevention and rehabilitation of injured workers, also thanks to recent legislative modifications.