English summary of Portuguese Health Literacy Society activities 

PORTUGUESE SOCIETY OF HEALTH LITERACY

 

The Portuguese Society of Health Literacy (SPLS) is an association with non-profit legal personality, of a scientific and formative nature. It pursues scientific, formative, technical, organizational, ethical and human purposes in the promotion, development and improvement of the practice of Health Literacy.

As a society with unique characteristics and objectives at the national level, we intend to develop and strengthen, through multisectoral and multiprofessional partnerships, health promotion, disease prevention, health education, health communication that reinforce the level of health literacy of the population.

 

Strengthen the level of Health Literacy of the Population

To this end, we know that we have to invest in skills, and therefore in more knowledge in health, development of capacities and attitudes and behaviors that are healthier and more conscious, dynamic and always updated, with a view to benefiting individuals, organizations, communities, health professionals, groups, media, policy makers and others, within their respective contexts and throughout the life cycle.

 

Goal

Improve

Thus, we propose to improve the access, understanding and use of health resources, the  correct navigation in the system, which aim at improved, reflected and correct decisions, whether of individuals or groups, which promote and improve global outcomes in health and well-being

To achieve these ends, we advocate an integrated, inclusive and multidisciplinary approach, promoting and developing skills, and therefore, knowledge, both through reason and emotion, as well as motivation, self-efficacy and dynamics of learning accompanied and throughout the life cycle.

We believe that it will be possible to ensure more proximity and cooperation, for a more sustainable world, with more peace, more awareness, and with more health in all policies.

By evidence of the positive effects of better health literacy, the number of experts in the field has been growing.

SPLS is proud to already be a very consistent, proactive and reality-transforming group, whose performance is supported by good models, strategies and interventions of health literacy.

We started the scientific society on January 19, 2022, with 22 founding members, the result of fieldwork and advanced training of health literacy specialists for more than a decade.

As of March 1, 2023, the number of members (individual and collective) of the SPLS amounted to 140.

 We will continue to grow, because theme, research and intervention on the ground are essential for changing health outcomes.

 We want to give visibility to all those who have contributed to better health literacy in Portugal and in Portuguese-speaking countries, to specialists and to those who have built bridges for health literacy.

 

Proposal to organizations who want to make a difference in health literacy

The SPLS thus proposes a partnership and its listening and integration in the projects on health literacy to the current and future partners, for an active, dynamic, close collaboration, with beneficial results for the citizen, for the organizations and communities, which trigger the best synergies and bring added value to all parties involved

To this end, investments in skills, in the reimagining of health communication, investing in training and lifelong learning for the digital age, to help citizens better access, understand, evaluate and use health resources, and to make better decisions that allow them to live with more quality and well-being in health and involving groups in an ecological and social way,  organizations, communities, society as a whole.

We are aware of the importance of aggregating all knowledge and contributions in a single active voice and always in the expectation of adding more people and organizations to this great cause, in word or deed, because good partnerships (SDG 17) generate greater trust between the parties, strengthen projects and propagate the beneficial effects for all communities.

 

Our motto is: LITERACY IS GOOD FOR HEALTH. WE ALL WIN

 

The Board of the Portuguese Society of Health Literacy (SPLS)

Chairman of the Board, Professor Cristina Vaz de Almeida

Vice-President of the Board, Mestre Susana Ramos

Vice President of the Direction, Therapist Mariana Fonseca

www.splsportugal.pt

 

Some projects we are working on