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Month: August 2026

The Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association meets with the Minister of Health

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The Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association, represented by its President, the Chair of the Southern Regional Assembly and the Coordinator of the Office for Research, Foresight and Planning, met on 27 August with the Minister for Health and members of her cabinet.

The meeting took place in an atmosphere of institutional cooperation and constructive dialogue, with topics such as physiotherapy consultations, the recording of physiotherapists’ activities in information systems, the integration of physiotherapy practice into the National Health Service’s (SNS) management and monitoring systems, and the development of future collaborative initiatives with organisations in the health sector.

The parties expressed their willingness to continue the dialogue and to work together on the matters discussed.

The Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association also took the opportunity to thank the Minister for Health for the support she had shown for Lisbon’s bid to host the World Congress of Physiotherapy in 2029, which contributed to the bid’s success.

World Physiotherapy Day featured in Valor Magazine

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World Physiotherapy Day 2026, dedicated to cardiovascular disease and stroke, is featured in the latest issue of Valor Magazine, which is distributed nationwide with the weekly newspaper SOL.

In an interview, the President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association, António Lopes, discusses the role of physiotherapy in preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke, and in promoting functionality, independence and quality of life.

The interview also emphasises the importance of ensuring faster and more effective access to physiotherapy care throughout the entire care pathway, as well as greater integration of physiotherapists across the different levels of care.

This issue will be available from 21 August at newsagents and in digital format.

Read the interview [here].

See the full edition [here].

Find out more about World Physiotherapy Day 2026 and download the campaign materials from World Physiotherapy, translated into Portuguese by the Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association, here.

World Humanitarian Day: protecting those who help is protecting those in need

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World Humanitarian Day is observed on 19 August, a day dedicated to honouring the professionals, volunteers and organisations that support people affected by conflicts, disasters and other humanitarian crises. 

In 2026, the United Nations campaign reinforces the call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, for respect for international humanitarian law, and for the creation of conditions to ensure that aid reaches those who need it. By the end of May, more than 252 million people were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection, whilst international response plans had received only around a quarter of the necessary funding. 

Physiotherapy plays a key role in these contexts. From the earliest stages of the response right through to the recovery and reconstruction processes, physiotherapists help to preserve functionality, prevent disability, promote independence and improve the quality of life of people affected by emergencies, disasters and humanitarian crises.  

Humanitarian action is not limited to the immediate response. It also involves ensuring dignity, inclusion, participation and every person’s right to recover with the highest possible level of functionality and autonomy. 

On this World Humanitarian Day, the Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association is joining the #ActForHumanity campaign, paying tribute to all those working in these contexts and reaffirming the importance of integrating physiotherapy and rehabilitation into national and international responses to crises.

Pedro Maciel Barbosa

Specialist physiotherapist at the Matosinhos Local Health Unit Sub-coordinator for Primary Health Care, Matosinhos Local Health Unit Visiting Assistant Professor at the Porto School of Health Member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Health - SNS Member of the General Council of the Order of Physiotherapists

Carlos Sand

Carlos Areia has been a physiotherapist since 2013, and has worked in various hospitals, clinics and clubs in both Portugal and the UK. He began his academic career at Oxford University in 2016, where he led a clinical trial comparing physiotherapy vs surgery in anterior cruciate injuries in 32 hospitals in England. In 2018 she moved to the neurosciences department, where she developed her own studies on remote monitoring of vital signs, which were implemented during the pandemic. Here he discovered his passion for data, and in 2022, he joined Digital Science as a Data Scientist. He completed his PhD earlier this year, and has more than 60 publications in journals such as The Lancet, BMJ, Cochrane, among others. He is also an honorary lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and a consultant in clinical research.

Eduardo José Brazete Carvalho Cruz

PhD in Physiotherapy from the University of Brighton, UK. Post-Doctorate in Epidemiology from the National School of Public Health at the New University of Lisbon.
Coordinator of the Studies and Planning Office of the Order of Physiotherapists. Coordinating Professor of the Physiotherapy Department of the School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (ESS-IPS). President of the ESS-IPS Technical-Scientific Council. Coordinator of the Physiotherapy Department at ESS-IPS. Integrated Researcher at the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) (a partnership between FCM-UNL, the National School of Public Health, the University of Évora, the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health and Santo Espírito Hospital, Terceira Island, Azores).

Sara Souto Miranda

Sara Souto Miranda has a bachelor's and master's degree in physiotherapy from the University of Aveiro, and a postgraduate qualification in adult respiratory physiotherapy from the same institution. In 2023 she completed her double doctorate in Rehabilitation Sciences/Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at the Universities of Aveiro and Maastricht (Netherlands) and is currently working as a technical-scientific advisor to the Studies and Planning Office (GEP) of the Order of Physiotherapists, and as a guest lecturer at the Piaget Institute in Vila Nova de Gaia. As a member of the Respiratory Research and Rehabilitation Laboratory at the University of Aveiro (Lab3R), she has carried out applied research in which she has assessed and treated patients with respiratory pathology, having taken part in 6 research projects. Throughout her career she has published 19 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals with an impact factor, 1 book chapter and more than 50 abstracts in conference proceedings. She was a research volunteer at the Ciro rehabilitation centre (Centre for expertise in chronic organ failure) in the Netherlands, and is currently a member of the Guideline Methodology Network of European Respiratory Society. She was honoured by European Lung Foundation e European Respiratory Society for carrying out patient-centred research, by the Directorate General for Higher Education with a merit grant for his master's degree, and by the Ciro Centre with a grant to support research abroad.

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