Free Scabies Treatment Linked to Decline in Incidence: Time‐Series Analysis From Bologna

Scabies is an increasingly reported parasitic infestation in Europe, with rising clinical and public health relevance due to difficulties in containment and treatment. In October 2024, the Emilia‐Romagna Region introduced free access to antiscabies medications for all confirmed cases and their contacts, and using monthly surveillance data from the Bologna metropolitan area (January 2020–August 2025), we assessed its intervention’s impact. Forecasts predicted 1427 cases during the postintervention period (November 2024–August 2025), whereas 1030 cases were observed, corresponding to a reduction of nearly 400 cases compared to expectations. The decline was statistically significant and consistently below the model’s 95% confidence interval, suggesting that, beyond any other intervention, universal cost coverage facilitates rapid treatment initiation and improved adherence, thereby containing transmission chains. This real‐world evaluation provides quantitative evidence that free drug provision represents an effective population‐level strategy to control scabies, reinforcing the need for equitable access to first‐line therapies.