Portugal had, by 2021, about 4,000 in 100 years, according to data from Pordata, which estimates that in the next thirty years, up to 2050, that number will be may exceed 10 thousand. A situation that, in Manuel Lopes’s view, is very positive because it means we can create conditions for people to reach that age. “We’re an old country, and that’s good,” said a professor at the São João de Deus Nursery School, at the University of Évora, who attended the second podcast Transformar o SNS, which is its theme is, in particular, “Promoting health., life path and aging – the urgency of new answers”. However, the professor is aware of the difficulty in combating the burden of the disease, which is still much higher than 65 years. The solution, he said, is to develop strategies to promote health and disease prevention throughout life, rather than at a more advanced stage. “Investment in these policies has guaranteed results, albeit not in the short term,” he asserted.
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An idea shared by Pedro Maciel Barbosa who adds that these policies can, and should, work from a prevention perspective, on the logic of testing or vaccination, but also on the logic of reinforcement. healthy time. “The latter has positive behaviors for this participation-such as exercise and maintaining a balanced diet-that we all know,” explains ULS Matosinhos physical therapist. who also participated in a podcast hosted by DN. “What we’re trying to offer is that health surveys are done throughout a person’s lifetime.”
However, experts argue that health education is an essential element so that people can have information, make better decisions and be able to manage their health throughout their lives. “And this teaching will happen not only in compulsory education, but also at the tertiary level,” they asserted, citing recent studies that show that the ability of students and teachers and researchers in higher education. Therefore, “we know that these educational materials must go hand in hand with all human journeys and all social characteristics, maintaining greater concern for those who are poorer or less literate. , because it is full of scientific evidence, and the risks of physical and mental illness are greater. in these social spheres. “
Regarding the development of skills, Manuel Lopes emphasizes the importance of doing so at all stages of life. “If applied to the elderly, it can even be combined with the promotion of literacy with other types of strategies that also help, for example, in increasing intergenerational coexistence and conflict. in loneliness, ”suggests.
These challenges require a lot of organization and management, which means a lot of work to be done. For example, says Manuel Lopes, “when we analyze the national health plan, perhaps the most important tool of a strategic health plan in Portugal, we find no discussion of various diseases and approaches to‘ many diseases and addictions, which are very important. embarrassing facts “. These issues, he said, must be put on the table and considered, as they require everyone’s participation. One of the strategies offered by this working group, says Pedro Maciel Barbosa, is to reflect close care or home care. “It’s something SNS has changed, found a solution, but unfortunately it’s spreading and now is the time to look at them.”
To learn more about these proposals, don’t forget to listen to the podcast, available starting today on the DN website.
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