The NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH) hosted a workshop organised by the National Health Council (CNS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), focused on Social Participation in Health in Portugal.
The event, held on 27 June 2025, brought together representatives from public institutions, civil society organisations, healthcare professionals, academics, and policymakers to engage in a structured reflection on how to achieve greater and more effective citizen involvement in health decision-making processes.
The opening session featured Dheepa Rajan, representing WHO, and Vítor Ramos, President of the CNS.
“Citizen participation in health is not optional; it is imperative. Health systems are only truly strong, resilient, and sustainable when they are built with people and for people,” said Sónia Dias, Dean of NOVA NSPH, in a message read during the event.
Throughout the day, participants were divided into several thematic working groups that addressed key issues such as health literacy, models of local participation, the role of patient associations, and institutional mechanisms for engaging civil society. The diversity of experiences and perspectives shared contributed to a rich and cross-cutting reflection on current challenges.
One of the main commitments made was to compile and systematise the contributions from the various working groups into a final conclusions report, which will be made publicly available. This initiative reinforced the participatory nature of the workshop and its potential to generate real impact in shaping more inclusive public policies that are aligned with the needs of communities.
In her message, the Dean of NOVA NSPH also emphasised the importance of ensuring that citizen empowerment is accompanied by the creation of genuine spaces for participation, accessible, transparent, and with practical outcomes. She further highlighted that NOVA NSPH will continue to invest in this path, namely through the Academy for the Empowerment of Patient Associations (ACAD) and the future Public Health Innovation Centre, currently under development.
