Health is universally recognised as a fundamental right. The impact of improving health services is relevant not only to humans and their well-being but also on a social and economic level.
The intervention of Portuguese co-operation in the health sector has as its main goal the improvement of health systems in developing countries, particularly in the public services, as a fundamental element of their plans for progress.
It’s generally recognised that the main priority areas of intervention are the importance of improving the quality and access to primary health care, the right to sexual and reproductive health services, the improvement of caring for mothers and their children, the health of women and the fight against sexually transmitted diseases, malaria, tuberculosis and other tropical diseases.
Portuguese co-operation has also seen investment in the development of health research in response to the threats to global health.