Health Systems in Transition

Health systems in transition

Portugal

achieve their goals. Also, the current National Health Plan defines strategies for

improving citizens’ empowerment and tackling health inequalities, through the

involvement of several actors both in the social and the private sectors, and the

development of intersectoral and multidisciplinary approaches (DGS, 2015b).

In 2016, two more programmes were added on viral hepatitis and physical

activity, respectively.

Health is also considered by several policies in different areas. The

Authority for Working Conditions (

Autoridade para as Condições do

Trabalho

) participates in health protection and disease prevention in the

workplace. Responsibility for food safety is shared by several institutions,

including the Authority for Economic and Food Safety (

Autoridade para a

Segurança Alimentar e Económica

), the DGH and the Ministry of Agriculture.

At the local level, the health sector is often involved in a number of activities,

including social support networks (in partnership with the social sector and

municipalities), the coordination of school health programmes (in partnership

with public and private schools), and the commissions of children at risk,

which are multidisciplinary teams that evaluate, plan and coordinate public

institutions’ actions towards identified situations of children and young people

at risk of violence and social exclusion.

Despite these examples of intersectorality in health, there is room for

improvement. Portugal does not have permanent intersectoral structures or

bodies, and decisions in areas such as urban planning or transports are not

carried out in partnership with the health sector. Health impact assessments

have not been institutionalized in Portugal, nor have specific guidelines

been produced.

2.4 Regulation and planning

The DGH has been responsible for the design, implementation and follow

up of the National Health Plan (see sections 2.1 and 5.1). The Plan sets the

main guidelines, strategies and goals for the whole country, for a given period

of time and it involves a large number of players, including policy-makers,

academics, health professionals and members from civil society. The current

2012–2016 National Health Plan was recently extended until 2020 (DGS, 2015b).

The National Health Plan comprises strategic guidelines and goals regarding

a minimum set of health system activities to be put into effect by the Ministry