Health in Portugal
Life expectancy in Portugal is estimated to be 82.55 years, reflecting advancements in healthcare access and quality.
[1] Infant and child mortality rates have reduced over the years, aligning the country performance with the improvements observed across Europe.
[5] Furthermore, Portugal is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which leads to new risks to public health.
The country is expected to experience frequent heatwaves, decrease of the air quality, and the potential spread of vector-borne diseases with direct implications on the population.
The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates an average of 81.2 years for all the population.
[3] Much of the progress has to do with the improvement of the healthcare system, development of vaccination programs, public health campaigns and education, as well, the economic growth in Portugal.
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.
[13] In 2020, 10.6% of total government expenditure in Portugal is allocated to health, in comparison to 10.9% in the European Union.
[14] 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.
[16] The national vaccination program is a universal and free initiative accessible for all the population living in Portugal.
These include desertification, drought, forest fires, shoreline erosion due to rising sea levels and increased storms, and the spread of vector-borne diseases.
[6][18] 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.
