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According to the World Bank income level classification, Portugal is considered to be a high income country. Its population was of 10,283,822 people, by 1 July 2019. WHO estimates that 21.7% of the population is 65 or more years of age (2018), a proportion that is higher than the estimates for the WHO European Region (15.1% by the same year).
Key Health Statistics and Heath Trends
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy in Portugal has improved significantly over the years.The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates a average of 81.2 years for all the population.[1] The overall for women is 83.9 years and 78.3 years for men.[1]
Child and Infant Mortality Rates
Child mortality rate (under five mortality rate- U5MR) has decreased over the past five decades.[2] In 1970, 6.9% of all the children die before reaching the age of five, in contrast in 1990, 1.5% were affected and in 2021 only 0.3% die before being five years old.[2]. At the same time the U5MR in 1990 in Europe was 1.6% and the world average was 9.3% , however, the rate as improved significantly over the time and the latest data shows a overall of 0.4% in Europe and 3.8% in the world.[2]
Reggarding to infant mortality rate (IMR), from 1970 to 2021 as also decresead, from 5.5% to 0.3%[3]. In similarity the european and world average has followed the same pattern. The European rate went from 1.3% in 1990 to 0.4% in 2021 and the world norm from 6.4% in 1990 to 2.8% in 2021.[3]
Much of the progress has to do with the improvement of the health care system, developement of vaccination programs, public health campaigns and education, as well, the economic growth in Portugal.[4]
Maternal Mortality Ratio
The maternal mortatily ratio in Portugal from 1990 to 2020 had a slightly decreased from 15 to 12 respectively. However, the average of the europe and world had a significant improvement. From 34 to 8 in europe and 370 to 212 in the world.[5]
The slightly decreaes of the materanl mortality ratio may be incorrectly interpreted, nevertheless, we may consider that the ratio represents the estimated number of women who die from maternal conditions per 100,000 live births.[5]
Global Burden of Disease (GBD) in Portugal
By 2021, the GBD in Portugal was mainly attributed to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), being these responsible for 88% of total deaths in the country and 86% of total disability-adjusted life years (DALYS).[6]
Comparing to data from 1990, the contribution of NCDs to both deaths (87.6%) and DALYS (79.7%) has increased. The same has happened to communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases diseases in terms of number of deaths (4.76% of total deaths in 1990), but a decrease in the number of DALYS has been observed since 1990 (7.05% of total DALYS).[7]
| Table 1: All causes of death in Portugal (both sexes, all ages) in 1990 and 2021[7] | |
| 1990 | 2021 |
| Cardiovascular diseases | Cardiovascular diseases |
| Neoplasms | Neoplasms |
| Digestive disorders | Respiratory infections and tuberculosis |
| Neurological disorders | Neurological disorders |
| Chronic respiratory | Diabetes and chronic kidney disease |
| Diabetes and chronic kidney disease | Chronic respiratory |
| Transport injuries | Digestive diseases |
| Respiratory infections and tuberculosis | Other non-communicable |
| Unintentional injuries | Unintentional injuries |
| Self-harm and violence | Self-harm and violence |
As shown in table 1, in 2021, 7 out of 10 most common causes of death in Portugal were non-communicable diseases. Of these 7 causes of death, cardiovascular diseases were responsible for 26.54%, being ischemic heart disease and stroke the cardiovascular diseases costing more lives in the country.[7]
| Table 2: Causes of disability in Portugal (both sexes, all ages) in 1990 and 2021[7] | |
| 1990 | 2021 |
| Cardiovascular diseases | Neoplasms |
| Neoplasms | Cardiovascular diseases |
| Mental disorders | Mental disorders |
| Musculoskeletal disorders | Musculoskeletal disorders |
| Transport injuries | Respiratory infections and tuberculosis |
| Other non-communicable | Neurological disorders |
| Unintentional injuries | Diabetes and chronic kidney disease |
| Neurological disorders | Other non-communicable |
| Chronic respiratory | Chronic respiratory |
| Digestive diseases | Unintentional injuries |
Cardiovascular diseases also represent a major cause of disability in the country, has shown in table 2. In fact, many causes of death in the country are also responsible for a significant degree of disability. However, when it comes to the last one, musculoskeletal and mental disorders are also important to consider.[7]
The presented data highlights the high challenges created by metabolic risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and obesity, which have been contributing to the GBD in Portugal.
The data provides deep insights of mortality, life expectancy, and health trends, helping to develop public health strategies aimed at reducing the impact of NCDs.
Healthcare system
The Portugal's National Health Service is responsible for providing healthcare services in public hospital institutions. (refernecia).
The healthcare system in Portugal is universal and is made up of three coexisting systems: the National Health Service, special social health insurance schemes for certain professions (health subsystems) and private health insurance.[8]
The Ministry of Health is responsible for developing national health policy, as well as managing the SUS. The Health Regulatory Entity is the independent public entity responsible for regulating the activity of all healthcare providers, whether public, private or social.[8]
The Portuguese healthcare system was ranked number 12 in overall performance by the World Health Organization in a 2000 report ranking the healthcare systems of each of the 190 United Nations member nations. Nonetheless, it ranked number 27 as the most expensive per capita healthcare system.[9]
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the system through which the State ensures the right to health protection, as provided for by the Constitution. It was created in 1979, through Law No. 56/79, of September 15th.[8][10]
The system is administered by the Central Administration of the Health System (CAHS) and five regional health administrations (RHA). The CAHS is responsible for the central management of financial, human, equipment and facilities resources, as well as the establishment of healthcare policies, plans, regulations and standards. The RHA are responsible for providing health care to the populations of each of the five health regions (North, Center, Lisbon and Tagus Valley, Alentejo and Algarve), as well as for the regional implementation of the national health plan.[8][10]
As well as being funded by the State, healthcare provided by the NHS is mainly provided by public healthcare facilities: These include:
- Groups of health centers (GHC) - mainly ensure the provision of primary health care to local communities. Each GHC brings together several health centers, each normally covering the area of a municipality. Each health center may have one or more health extensions outside its headquarters. Health centers are also responsible for serving, with medical and nursing staff, local public medical posts, maintained by some parish councils. Each GHC includes specialized family health, personalized health care, community health, and public health units;
- Hospital establishments - most of them provide differentiated healthcare. Most public hospitals now include hospital centers, which bring together and manage several hospital units located in the same city or region. Non-integrated hospitals and hospital centers are classified as group I (local), II (regional), III (central) or IV (specialized);
- Local health units (LHU) - bring together all health centers and hospitals located in a given city or region, in a single integrated establishment responsible for providing both primary health care and differentiated health care.
In addition, the National Health Service also maintains agreements with private entities to provide complementary health care to its users.[8][10]
The Ministry of Health also maintains the National Health Service 24 (NHS24) telephone line, an information service, available every day, 24 hours a day and accessible via telephone ( 808 24 24 24) or via the internet ( www. saude24.pt). Provides screening, counseling and referral for illness, therapeutic counseling, public health assistance and general health information. Users who use this line before going to hospital emergency services have priority when they reach them.[11]
Health expenditure
In 2020, 10.6% of total government expenditure in Portugal is allocated to health, in comparison to 10.9% in the European Union.[12] This value has a direct relation with the reduction of child and infant mortality rate, maternal ratio, improvement of the national healthcare system, allowing it to be free, universal and accessible to all residents in Portugal.[13]
Public Health Programs
The National Health Plan 2020
The Portuguese National Health Plan is an important element for the implementation of health policies in the country since it defines the strategic plan for intervention in the public health system.
The National Health Plan 2020 defines the following health goals to be achieved by 2020:
- Reduce the avoidable number of deaths within the population to below 20% (i.e. the mortality rate amongst people with 70 years or less)
- Increase healthy life expectancy at 65 years of age by 30%
- Reduce the prevalence of tobacco consumption within the population with 15 years of age or more
- Control the incidence and prevalence of overweight and obesity in children[14]
This plan was initially defined for the period between 2012 and 2016 but later extended to 2020. This extension results from recommendations emitted by the World Health Organization in its report “Health 2020: the European policy for health and well-being”.[14]
National vaccination program
The National Vaccination program is a universal and free initiative acessible for all the population living in Portugal. It was implemented in 1965 and was updated in September 2020.[15]
Which respects the following principles:
- Universality, aimed at all people who in Portugal have an indication for vaccination
- Free of charge for the user
- Accessibility
- Equity
- Taking advantage of all vaccination opportunities[15]
The program aim to protect individuals and the population against diseases with the greatest potential to pose threats to public and individual health and for which there is effective protection through vaccination.[15]
The calendar is currently as follows:
| Table 3: National vaccination program of Portugal, 2020[15] | |
| Age | Vaccination |
| At birth | 1st dose of hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine |
| At 2 months | Hexavalent vaccine DTPaHibVIPVHB, 1st dose of DTPa, Hib, VIP, HBV, Pn13, MenB 1 |
| At 4 months | 2nd dose of DTPa, Hib, VIP (Pentavalent), 2nd dose of Pn13, MenB 2 |
| At 6 months | 3rd dose of DTPa, Hib, VIP, HBV (Hexavalent vaccine DTPaHibVIPVHB) |
| At 12 months | 3rd dose of Pn13, 3rd dose of MenB, MenC (single dose), 1st dose of MMR |
| At 18 months | Pentavalent DTPaHibVIP, 1st booster of DTPa (4th dose), VIP (4th dose), single Hib booster |
| At 5 years | 2nd booster of DTPa (5th dose), VIP (5th dose), tetravalent DTPaVIP, 2nd dose of MMR |
| At 10 years | Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine booster, 2 doses of HPV9 vaccine |
| Troughout life | Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine boosters at 25, 45, 65 years, every 10 years thereafter |
| Pregnant women | Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) in each pregnancy |
| Groups at increased risk | BCG, Pneumo23, ACWY, Hepatitis A (for at-risk groups) |
Potential future impact of climate change on health
Portugal is among the European countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, due to its geographical location of greater vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change. These include desertification, drought, forest fires, shoreline erosion due to rising sea levels and increased storms, and the spread of vector-borne diseases,
At the moment, there are several impacts of climate change that are already very visible, for example, Portugal has already lost 15 km2 of territory, swallowed by the sea in recent years,temperatures above 20 degrees in mid-October and long periods of drought, heat waves, or stronger storms and tornadoes.These challenges have direct implications in different areas like public health, agriculture, water supply, and coastal management.
The Portuguese Environment Agency emphasize several key ways in which climate changes will impact the health of the population:
- Heatwaves and Heat-Related Illnesses: Portugal is expected to experience more frequent and intense heatwaves.This brings significant health risks, particularly for risk populations such as: elderly, children, and individuals with pre-existing conditions. Heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke are expected to become more prevalent. In addition, heatwaves can worsen cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, leading to higher hospitalization rates and placing more pressure on the healthcare system.
- Vector-Borne Diseases: Warmer temperatures and shifting climate conditions favor the spread of disease-carrying insects, such as mosquitoes, to areas where they were uncommon. Diseases like dengue fever and malaria, could become more cummon. This would lead to a new public health challenge.
- Air Quality and Respiratory Conditions: High temperatures can aggravate the air pollution, particularly in urban areas, as warmer weather can contribute to the formation of pollutants like ground-level ozone. Which can lead to the exacerbation of respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Culminating to the increase of hospital admissions and a growing burden on public health services.
Strategies to Protect Public Health
Portugal’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change includes comprehensive measures to reduce the impacts of climate change.[16]
The initiatives defined for public health are:
- Developement of public health alert systems to warn citizens about upcoming heatwaves
- Surveillance of vector-borne disease.
- Air quality monitoring
- Education and awareness campaigns
Since climate change is a global problem, decisions regarding both mitigation and adaptation involve actions or options at all levels of decision-making, from the local community level to the international level, involving all stakeholders. national governments.[16][17]