The 12th National Congress of Physiotherapists took place on 9 and 10 May in Lisbon, bringing together professionals, experts and institutional representatives to debate the role of physiotherapy in public health, the centrality of the person in care and emerging challenges such as professional regulation, technological innovation and artificial intelligence.
Today, 1 June, is World Children's Day - a date that underlines the importance of protecting children's rights and ensuring that they grow up with health, dignity and well-being.
The 12th National Congress of Physiotherapists reaffirmed the essential role of physiotherapy in public health.
With thousands of pilgrims travelling on foot to Fátima during the month of May, the Order of Physiotherapists is once again warning of the importance of adequate physical preparation and the precautions to be taken along the way.
On 7 May, the Orders of Physiotherapists, Nutritionists, Psychologists and Social Workers sent a joint statement to the Minister of Health expressing their concern about the content of Ordinance 156/2025/1, published on 7 April, which redefines the functioning of Integrated Continued Care Teams (ECCI).
The Order of Physiotherapists informs that Notice no. 11364/2025/2, of 5 May, regarding the public consultation of the proposed Electoral Regulations of the Order of Physiotherapists, was published in the Diário da República.
World Hand Hygiene Day, marked on 5 May, is promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with the aim of reinforcing the importance of hand hygiene as an essential measure for preventing infections, particularly in healthcare settings.
Following on from what was announced in September 2024 as part of World Physiotherapy Day, the SPLIT Programme is now entering a new phase: the training and qualification of physiotherapists.
The Order of Physiotherapists is delighted to announce that the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has granted his High Patronage to the 12th National Congress of Physiotherapists, which will be held on 9 and 10 May 2025 in Lisbon, under the slogan "360º Identity and Value".
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.
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 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.