The Curitiba Statement on Health Promotion and Equity: Italian version and analysis of criticalities

BACKGROUND: The Curitiba Statement of health promotion and equity is the main result of the World Conference on International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE - UIPES), held in May 2016 in Curitiba. The Curitiba Statement is the outcome of a participatory process, result of collaboration of all conference participants. The Curitiba Statement represents the continuity from Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. This document remembers and asks to International Organizations, Governments, at all levels of the Institutions, the Health Sector, Citizens and Health Professionals and Researchers to change and eliminate all forms of discrimination and exclusion. STUDY DESIGN: Description of the translation and validation process. METHODS: The translation process from Spanish and English is based on the translation techniques enumerated by Fawcett in 1997: borrowing, calque, literal translation, transposition, modulation, reformulation, adaptation. RESULTS: The translation process produced some critical issues shifting from English to Italian: the most critical words and expressions correspond to the more significant ones of the Curitiba Statement, and these issues are reflected in research, politics and practice. In particular, we analyzed the translation of Inequity, Advocate, and Players, and then discussed their use in different expressions in the original text. CONCLUSION: Considering the Curitiba Statement's message has to be transversal, and it is addressed not only to Professionals but to all Citizens, researchers have made the choice of a clear translation for the Italian readers, not always similar to English form, but consistent and faithful in its content. To spread the culture and practice of Health Promotion, a deep attention in the translation of international documents could allow the propagation of ideas and strategies, from global to local.