The European University's Postgraduate Diploma in Integrated Health Communication, which kicks off on May 23rd, will have the scientific sponsorship of the Portuguese Society for Health Literacy, reinforcing the credibility and relevance of this program. This partnership is reflected in a collaboration protocol, which also includes ANESC - Associação Nacional de Emergência, Socorro e Catástrofe.
But the news regarding the Program in Integrated Health Communication, coordinated by Professor Ricardo Mena and Professor Teresa Santos, doesn't stop there, as it has also been accredited by the Order of Psychologists, which recognizes excellence in scientific-pedagogical quality.
The collaboration protocol provides for the promotion of strategies, initiatives and actions that contribute to individual, organizational and public health literacy, and is also based on partnerships, collaborative networking and investment in small communities (parish councils) with the activation of all citizens.
"The European University welcomes this Protocol, which aims to achieve a society with greater health literacy, especially among the school community (students, teachers and pupils) by creating and strengthening more decision-making skills, thus promoting a more inclusive and equitable society, with an improvement in people's quality of life," stresses Teresa Santos, director of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the European University.
"This is a very important moment for the Portuguese Society for Health Literacy [SPLS]. We know that through education, combined with health literacy, people acquire greater skills that allow them to develop and experience a better quality of life. In an ecosystem that increasingly combines intervention for a single health (One Health - environment - people - animals), this partnership will reinforce strategies and actions aimed at strengthening partnership networks between the various stakeholders where the SPLS and the European University will undoubtedly be strong catalysts for better health and well-being results for the target populations," says the President of the SPSL, Professor Cristina Vaz de Almeida.
The Protocol is based on five lines of action, namely: training and raising awareness among the school community throughout the life cycle, promoting sensory experiences about healthy lifestyles (RITMO project), community intervention projects in association with the school community (ATIVAR Project), safe health care and Basic Life Support and improving citizens' network of connections.
The European University, SPLS and ANESC will establish forms of cooperation such as campaigns to promote health literacy, joint organization of events, seminars, conferences and colloquia, as well as training courses, awareness-raising, lifelong learning actions on topics of interest to both institutions, with the possibility of making professionals and specialists available to carry out activities of common interest.
The exchange of information and other information from surveys and research that could result in synergies, the dissemination of activities of common interest and the building of partnerships aimed at solving specific problems indicated by the 3 entities are the other forms of collaboration provided for in the Protocol, which lasts for 1 year.