Latest news and stories about healthcare in education in Portugal for expats and residents.
The government is currently seeking public consultation on the new National School Health Programme (Programa Nacional de Saúde Escolar), which is open until June 16th. The proposal aims to strengthen health teams in schools, with a focus on expanding sex education, mental health support, and addictive behaviour prevention.
Bluepharma will open a new production unit in Coimbra for complex injectable medicines related to gene therapy, with operations expected to start in April; the project is the result of a consortium of ten entities and marks further investment in pharmaceutical innovation. The unit is intended to support manufacturing capacity for advanced therapies and may create specialised local jobs. Healthcare and biotech workers, and regional suppliers, should watch hiring and procurement notices as the unit becomes operational.
The Order of Dentists (Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas) says more than two million dental vouchers intended for children and young people have never been used, often because families were unaware of the programme or lacked guidance on how to claim them. The scheme has offered free consultations since 2008 and the OMD criticised schools and some clinicians for poor promotion and uptake. Families with young children should check eligibility and ask local health units about accessing the dental voucher programme.
An Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas (Order of Dentists) is Portugal's professional body that registers and regulates dentists, sets ethical standards and handles complaints. The OMD recently warned that more than two million dental vouchers for children and young people went unused, often because families did not know about the programme or how to redeem the vouchers.
The dental voucher programme offers free dental consultations for children and young people and has been running since 2008; authorities say over two million vouchers were never used, often because families were unaware of the scheme or how to redeem them. The programme covers basic check-ups and treatments through participating dentists, so families should contact their local dentist, municipal health services or the Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas for help using any available vouchers.
As Portugal celebrates European Immunisation Week, experts advocate for a 'life-course' vaccination strategy to support an ageing population, aiming to enhance the sustainability of the National Health Service through the '95-95-95' initiative.
Public and private sector employees have launched a strike to protest the new labour package, causing significant disruptions to essential services including schools and hospitals.
Fesinap anticipates a significant turnout for Monday's 24-hour public sector strike, with healthcare, education, and social security services expected to face the most disruption due to grievances over performance evaluations and staffing levels.
Fesinap anticipates a significant turnout for Monday's public sector strike, with health and education services expected to face the most disruption due to ongoing grievances over performance evaluations and career progression.
This article discusses the necessity for nursing education, research, and health service organization to adapt to the multicultural realities of society. It emphasizes the importance of aligning these aspects with the diverse needs of patients to improve healthcare outcomes.
The old Cerco School, previously inaccessible due to drug-related issues, is being repurposed into a local health unit, marking a significant shift towards improving community health and safety.
António José Seguro outlines his objectives for the upcoming presidential elections, focusing on reducing poverty, ensuring healthcare for all, and guaranteeing the right to housing.
A new study from the Karolinska Institute strengthens evidence that Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), the common cause of glandular fever, can trigger an immune response that damages the brain and may contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). The research supports the hypothesis that EBV infection is a key environmental driver of MS, a chronic inflammatory neurological disease affecting nearly three million people worldwide, in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system.
Researchers have shown that a dried drop of fingertip blood—collected via a simple finger-prick—can reveal biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease, offering a less invasive, more accessible route to early diagnosis. Improving and validating blood-based tests remains a key research challenge to ensure sensitivity, specificity and clinical applicability compared with current invasive or costly methods.
Presidential candidate António José Seguro says Portugal urgently needs to restore a sense of community and expects a “peaceful change” in 2026. His remarks frame the election as a moment for social cohesion rather than confrontation. At the same time, opposition figure Luís Montenegro is pitching a concrete programme of reforms focused on health, education and housing — signalling a policy-driven contest in which property and public services will be central issues.
On 17 June, PÚBLICO and the Nova Medical School are hosting a conference to debate misinformation regarding food, well-being, and fitness, as well as the challenges of regulating the sector.
Portugal shows progress in health-related UN sustainable development goals, while education targets remain stagnant.
“The study's findings allow us to infer a public desire for the strengthening of home-based care structures,” concludes research from the University of Coimbra.
Abroad, Montenegro says the country is extraordinary. But at home, there is a shortage of surgeries and teachers in schools. Meanwhile, there is criticism from Spain and complaints from teachers abroad.
Portugal shows progress in health-related UN sustainable development goals, but falls short in education targets.
Between 2015 and 2025, 64% of health-related indicators showed favourable progress. In education, 33.3% showed negative evolution, despite improvements in access and school completion.
The National Statistics Institute (INE) reports that while Portugal has seen improvements in the health sector, there has been a decline in the quality of education and learning outcomes.
Portugal shows progress in health-related UN sustainable development goals, while education targets remain stagnant.
According to the newspaper Público, this tax has already yielded more than 500 million euros for the state. Also in this newspaper, Portuguese children spend almost 40 hours a week at school.
The seventh edition of the Nurses' Congress combined with the first edition of the Academic Forum.
Regarding nursing schools, Montenegro recalled that their integration into the Universities of Porto, Coimbra, and Lisbon is underway.
The school group director confirmed to CM that 'a person who does not belong to the school community was infected by the bacteria', but 'no students have shown symptoms'.
Three doctors were awarded Nuno Grande scholarships for their work addressing the link between the gut and joint inflammation, cardiac inflammation, and the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.
The work of the researchers now distinguished with the 2025 Nuno Grande PhD Scholarships focuses on inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and cardiac diseases.
The 12 million euro programme allowed for an exponential increase in support for higher education students. It ends in September. Its successor is called Soma+ Academia.
The Iscte university presents a new analysis of Portugal's standing within Europe, focusing on key indicators such as healthcare, the labour market, and the education system.
Forty percent of University of Lisbon students frequently experience anxiety attacks and 35% rarely do, according to a study on mental health by the university's Academic Association, which is being presented today.
