Helplines and other useful conatcts
Other phone lines and useful contacts
- Poison Information Centre Helpline: 800 250 250
- Domestic Violence Victims Information Service Line: 800 202 148
- Emotional support and suicide prevention Helpline: 213 544 545 / 912 802 669 / 963 524 660 (daily from 3:30 pm to 12:30 am)
- AIDS Support: 800 201 040
- Sexuality Support: 800 222 003
- Drug Abuse Support: 1414
- Stop Smoking: 808 208 888
- Office of the Public Defender: 808 200 084
- Public Health Helpline: 808 211 311
- Cancer Helpline: 808 255 255
- Lung Helpline: 808 259 259
- Portuguese League Against Cancer (National Headquarters): 217 221 810
- Medicine Helpline: 800 222 444
- Helpline for Rare Diseases: 300 505 700
Caregiver associations
ASSOCIATIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF HEALTH (DGS)
- LÚPUS - Associação de Doentes com Lúpus
- Associação ABRAÇO - Associação de Apoio a Pessoas com VIH/SIDA
- Associação Portuguesa de Familiares e Amigos de Doentes de Alzheimer (Alzheimer Portugal)
- Associação o Dom Maior- Associação de apoio na área do ensino e reabilitação a crianças e jovens portadores de deficiência
- ADEB - Associação de Apoio aos Doentes Depressivos e Bipolares
- ANPAR - Associação Nacional de Pais e Amigos Rett
- APDI - Associação Portuguesa da Doença Inflamatória do Intestino, Colite Ulcerosa e Doença de Crohn
- APDP - Associação Protetora dos Diabéticos de Portugal
- APPDA- Norte - Associação Portuguesa para as Perturbações do Desenvolvimento e Autismo
- APPDA - Lisboa - Associação Portuguesa para as Perturbações do Desenvolvimento e Autismo
- APPDA - Setúbal - Associação Portuguesa para as Perturbações do Desenvolvimento e Autismo
- GAT Portugal - Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos
- Inovar Autismo - Associação de Cidadania e Inclusão
- Liga de Amigos e Voluntariado do Centro Hospitalar Tondela - Viseu
- Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de São Pedro de Vila Real
- Liga Portuguesa Contra a Sida
- PCI - Associação de Paramédicos de Catástrofe Internacional
- SER+ Associação Portuguesa para a Prevenção e Desafio à Sida
- SPEM - Sociedade Portuguesa de Esclerose Múltipla
Associations that are part of the National Health Council or the Caregiver Training and Literacy Group
- ACREDITAR - Associação de Pais e Amigos de Crianças com Cancro
- Alzheimer Portugal - Associação Alzheimer Portugal
- APED - Associação Portuguesa para o Estudo da Dor
- APIR - Associação Portuguesa de Insuficientes Renais
- APSA - Associação Portuguesa do Síndrome de Asperger
- APSI - Associação da Proteção da Segurança Infantil
- FamiliarMente - Federação Portuguesa das Associações das Famílias de Pessoas com experiência em doença mental
- Fundação do Gil
- Fundação Portuguesa de Cardiologia
- Fundação Portuguesa do Pulmão
- GAIF - Grupo associativo de investigação em Feridas
- HOPE - Respostas Sociais
- IAC - Instituto de apoio à Criança
- Liga Portuguesa contra o Cancro
- Make A Wish
- Movimento de Utentes de Serviços Públicos
- Plataforma Saúde em Diálogo
- Raríssimas - Associação Nacional de Deficiências Mentais e Raras
- Respira - Associação para Pessoas com DPOC e outras Doenças Respiratórias Crónicas
- Sociedade Portuguesa de Hipertensão
For more information, see the list of patient organisations recognised by the DGS.
Note: Recognition process by DGS
Law nº 44/2005, of 29 August, "Law of the Associations of defence of the Users of Health Care Services", comes to establish the rights of participation and intervention of the associations of defence of the users with the central, regional and local administration.
These associations have legal personality and are non-profit. Their main objective is to contribute to the greater involvement and participation of users, not only in the definition and operationalization of national strategies, plans, and programs but also in the defence of their interests and rights. In this last approach, associations may pursue interests of a generic and specific nature, where the restricted and specific scope of action of certain areas or pathologies in the health sector is stated here.
Administrative Decree no. 535/2009, of 18 May regulates Law no. 44/2005 and defines the process of recognition of scope and representativeness, registration and forms of support to health users' associations.
The recognition process is the initiative of the association, which must, under the terms of the Administrative Decree No. 535/2009 of 18 May, send the documents necessary for the instruction of the registration process, to the Directorate General of Health (DGS), which is responsible for this competence.
In case of doubt, you may contact the Directorate General of Health at associacoesutentes@dgs.pt.
RELATED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES
- ANEPC - Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil (National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority) is responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing emergency and civil protection policies, namely in the prevention of and response to major accidents and disasters, protection and rescue of populations, coordination of civil protection agents, in accordance with the legal terms, and ensuring the planning and coordination of national needs in the area of civil emergency planning, with a view to dealing with situations of crisis or war.
- CNIS – Confederação Nacional das Instituições de Solidariedade (National Confederation of Solidarity Institutions).
- CONFECOOP – Confederação Cooperativa Portuguesa CCRL (Portuguese Cooperative Confederation CCRL)
- FPAS – Federação Portuguesa das Associações de Surdos (Portuguese Federation of Deaf Associations)
- INR – Instituto Nacional de Reabilitação (National Institute for Rehabilitation). The mission of the National Institute for Rehabilitation is to ensure the planning, implementation and coordination of national policies to promote the rights of people with disabilities.
- Portal da Juventude – Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude (Youth Portal - Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth)
- Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lisbon
- União das Misericórdias Portuguesas (Union of Portuguese Misericordies
- União das Mutualidades Portuguesas (Union of Portuguese Mutuals) - It is a national mutual association that brings together several mutual associations with the aim of promoting and representing them before public, private and social entities.