Only a quarter of the 308 Portuguese municipalities undertake initiatives to support informal caregivers, a study by health institutions has revealed, highlighting “alarming data” regarding local government responses in this area, it was announced today.
“Among the 78 municipalities with identified initiatives, most actions are characterized by being sporadic, small-scale, and mainly focused on disseminating information or training sessions,” a statement from the Santa Maria Health School, Porto, noted.
The findings are part of the study “Caregivers and Municipalities — Current Status” conducted by researchers from the Santa Maria Health School and Rise Health, a research unit based at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, coordinated by José Manuel Silva. The full results will be released soon at a “scientific event”.
“Only 25.3% of municipalities report developing initiatives, programs, or projects specifically aimed at this population, who play a central role in long-term care yet remain largely invisible in public policies,” the study’s promoters noted.
The study aimed to systematically map and analyze the responses of the 308 Portuguese municipalities in supporting informal caregivers, using “document analysis, direct contact with municipalities, and validation procedures to ensure comprehensive national coverage,” the note explained.
Meanwhile, only 5.2% develop “structured and ongoing programs, such as substitute or respite care services for informal caregivers and psychosocial support”.
Additionally, there were “marked regional inequalities and weak coordination with national programs and civil society organizations, raising concerns about territorial equity, continuity of care, and strategic alignment with public health and social action policies”.
The study’s results highlight “the need for a more coordinated, intersectoral, and multi-level public response that strengthens the role of municipalities as strategic agents” in adopting “sustainable, integrated community responses focused on the well-being of both caregivers and those cared for,” it argued.
While 16,386 informal caregiver statuses were awarded in Portugal as of January 2025, only 6,004 (36.6%) received respective economic support, according to Social Security data (2025).
“These numbers contrast with estimates from the National Association of Informal Caregivers, which points to the existence of about 827,000 informal caregivers in the country (Activity Report, 2021), showing a clear under-representation in official statistics,” the study’s promoters pointed out.
