Background: The Italian Cochrane Centre (ICC) has recently implemented new initiatives to support Italian review authors and to further disseminate systematic reviews (SRs) and evidence-based medicine (EBM). Objectives: To describe the training and dissemination activities of the ICC since 2007 addressed to students, review authors, clinicians and consumers. Methods and Results: To improve the introduction of EBM in the Italian academic health professional curricula, the ICC has an active role within the Thomas Chalmers Centre, an inter-university network created to increase SR production, dissemination and use within the academic environment. Many initiatives are devoted to support Cochrane authors both for basic and advanced SR methodology. Around 80 beginners or advanced authors were trained. The ICC website is becoming more interactive through a discussion forum and surveys on training needs. During 2008, three new Cochrane SRs were prepared by authors recently trained by the ICC. Others are ongoing. To create a close link between SRs and clinical practice, the ICC is collaborating with the Appropriateness of Oncologic Drugs project developed by the Health Care and Social Agency of Emilia-Romagna aimed at producing clinical guidelines in the oncology field by using the GRADE method. ICC also speaks to consumers and media: 120 abstracts and plain language summaries are currently published on the Italian portal for consumers ‘PartecipaSalute’. The Wiley press releases are translated and sent to Italian journalists to highlight some of the key healthcare interventions. Cochrane SRs have been cited 72 times in Italian media so far (16 times in high circulation national magazines). A healthcare programme of a national Italian radio station (Radio 24) hosted ICC researchers who discuss popular treatments presented in Cochrane reviews. Conclusions: These new activities will be monitored to explore if they had a role in the recent increase of Cochrane reviews consulted by Italian users.