The plan, aligned with the National Health Plan 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), establishes a strategic roadmap for promoting health and well-being in the region until 2030. The foundational work began in 2024 with the creation of the Arco Ribeirinho Health Profile, which mapped local realities and identified needs.
Lina Guarda, Coordinating Health Delegate of ULS Arco Ribeirinho, explained that the profile allowed them to "better understand the reality of the four municipalities, identify the main health challenges, needs, and problems, their determinants, and the existing intervention opportunities in the territory."
A participatory process, involving professionals, local councils, community partners, and citizens, was crucial in defining responses tailored to the population's needs, considering the diversity among the municipalities. Ana Teresa Xavier, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of ULS Arco Ribeirinho, highlighted the asymmetry between the municipalities, emphasizing the need for an epidemiological map for adequate care.
Anabela Barata, Vice-President of CCDR LVT, reinforced the importance of a comprehensive approach to health, extending beyond health services to involve the entire community. "When we talk about health, we are not just talking about hospitals and health centers, we are talking about the community," she stated.
The Director-General of Health, Rita Sá Machado, congratulated those involved and highlighted the PLSAR's importance for the community, wishing success for its implementation. Public presentations will be held in the coming months in each municipality to bring the plan closer to the communities.
The Local Health Plan aims to be an instrument for community mobilization. "Health is not built solely in health services. It is built in families, in local councils, in schools, in workplaces, in associations, and in all the spaces where we live and interact," concluded Lina Guarda.
