The NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH) and the Amadora-Sintra Local Health Unit (ULS) have signed a collaboration protocol aimed at implementing and developing Social Prescribing initiatives within the institution. This pioneering and strategic partnership will contribute to promoting health and preventing disease among the users served by this ULS.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Dean of NOVA NSPH, Sónia Dias, and the President of the ULS, Carlos Sá, who both emphasised the importance of joining forces between academia and the health system to address the challenges posed by the social determinants of health and to foster population well-being.
“Social prescribing has this dual capacity to operationalise health promotion and disease prevention. It is a person-centred approach that focuses on individual needs and values social, emotional, and community contexts,” stated Sónia Dias, highlighting that the initiative will be particularly relevant for vulnerable groups, though with the potential to benefit the wider population.
With this protocol, the Amadora-Sintra Local Health Unit (ULS) will be able to rethink its models of healthcare delivery, focusing on building more innovative and integrated solutions. In this initial phase, Social Prescribing will be implemented at the Conde da Lousã Family Health Unit, with a special focus on children and their families in situations of greater vulnerability – in a pioneering initiative (Connect) for this age group within primary healthcare, supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
The partnership also includes capacity-building actions for healthcare and social care professionals, as well as other community-based practitioners, and the evaluation of the impact of these interventions. This will be carried out in collaboration with the Social Prescribing Knowledge Centre of NOVA NSPH and the Portuguese Network for Social Prescribing.
NOVA NSPH has been at the forefront of development and research in this field, leading national and international projects and launching the first training course in Social Prescribing in Portugal. This protocol represents another step in affirming the School as a reference institution in public health innovation and reinforces NOVA NSPH’s commitment to integrated and sustainable solutions for the challenges facing the health sector and society at large.
