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The Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association meets with the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security of the Azores

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The Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association met this Wednesday with the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security of the Azores, to mark the start of a new term of office for the Association’s governing bodies and their respective regional branches.

The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange institutional greetings and to discuss prospects for collaboration in the development of physiotherapy in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with a particular focus on the regulation, organisation and access to the profession within the Regional Health System.

Among the topics discussed was the possibility of setting up a working group involving the various organisations, with the aim of analysing the current model, identifying needs and developing proposals that would help to enhance the skills and autonomy of physiotherapists and ensure a more efficient and accessible response to the needs of the population.

The meeting reaffirmed the willingness to deepen institutional dialogue and to work together in a way that is tailored to regional circumstances.

World Pregnant Women’s Day 2026: the contribution of physiotherapy throughout the perinatal cycle

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Today, 9 September, marks World Pregnant Women’s Day, a day that celebrates motherhood and emphasises the importance of ensuring high-quality healthcare throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period.

Physiotherapy specialising in pelvic and women’s health can play a significant role in this journey, helping to improve quality of life, prevent complications, support functional recovery and address the various needs associated with the perinatal period.

During pregnancy, physiotherapists can assess a woman’s physical condition, prescribe appropriate exercise, advise on strategies for managing and reducing pain, and support her in preparing for the different stages of pregnancy and for childbirth. In the postnatal period, intervention can contribute to physical recovery, pelvic floor function, a return to everyday activities and other specific needs during this phase.

Physiotherapy can also help to promote independence, health literacy and a more active role for women in decisions relating to their health and wellbeing.

The Portuguese Physiotherapists« Association launches »Physical Health and Public Health — A Perspective on Portugal’

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As part of the celebrations for the Order’s Day, the Portuguese Order of Physiotherapists, in collaboration with Lidel, is organising the launch of the book «Physical Health and Public Health — A Perspective on Portugal».

The session will take place on 29 September, at 6.30 pm, at FNAC Chiado, in Lisbon.

The book aims to bring public health – often perceived as a theoretical field that is difficult to apply in practice – closer to everyday reality, making it more accessible and understandable.

Taking an integrative approach that fosters dialogue between physiotherapists and public health professionals, this publication offers a conceptual and practical reflection on the challenges and needs relating to physical health in Portugal. Each chapter begins with a specific scenario and explores the relevant topic through the contributions of public health professionals and physiotherapists.

Presented as a white paper, the publication addresses the determinants of physical health, the burden of disease and morbidity, physical activity and health promotion, universal coverage and equity in access to care, physical health policies and health literacy.

At the launch of the publication, the President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists« Association, António Lopes, emphasised that »this work, which focuses on the public health perspective, represents a significant contribution towards repositioning and raising the profile of physiotherapy and physiotherapists within healthcare settings’.

This book marks the launch of a new series that the Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association intends to develop, in partnership with Lidel, through the publication of further works devoted to physiotherapy and topics relevant to health. The initiative aims to strengthen the Order’s role in the production and dissemination of knowledge, contributing to professional reflection and debate within the health sector.

The project was co-ordinated by Ana Casaca, Bernardo Pinto, Daniela Costa, Duarte Pereira, João Pinto and Pedro Maciel Barbosa. The foreword was written by Constantino Sakellarides, Emeritus Professor at the National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon.

This publication is aimed at physiotherapists, students and other professionals and those with an interest in the field.

The panellists and the full programme for the session will be announced shortly.

Physiotherapists’ Association Day 2026

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The page dedicated to the 2026 Physiotherapists’ Association Day is now available. The event will be held on 30 September, the 7th anniversary of the Association’s founding.

This year, the initiative will be marked by five regional events, organised by the Northern, Central, Southern, Azores and Madeira Regional Directorates.

Under the theme “Assessing the Value of Physiotherapy”, the 2026 Physiotherapy Day invites reflection on the value of physiotherapy for individuals, for the quality of care and for the sustainability of healthcare systems.

See dedicated page Look forward to Order Day 2026 and find out about the regional programmes.

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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