This observational exploratory study aims to identify key indicators of menstrual health that are comparable, robust, and relevant to health policies and promote their integration into French and Portuguese national health information systems through a participatory approach and consensus methodologies. The specific objectives of the present study are: 1.    Co-create an operational definition of menstrual health through a Delphi panel with experts and stakeholders at a multidisciplinary and multisectoral level in France and Portugal; 2.    Identify menstrual health indicators that are socially and culturally appropriate to the specific contexts;3.    Identify opportunities and obstacles to adopting indicators that allow for more effective and culturally sensitive interventions.By highlighting similarities and differences between the health systems of France and Portugal, identifying best practices and areas for improvement, and defining research and intervention priorities, this study can inform decision-making processes and serve as a model for other countries seeking to improve their health policies through participatory and evidence-based approaches.

Scientific recognition of the complex relationships between climate, migration and society has increased in recent years, but it often remains incomplete. Misleading claims about mass migration due to climate change persist both in the academic debate, as highlighted by Boas et al. (2019) and Zickgraf (2020), but especially in the media, the public, and politics. While international migration and climate policy makers increasingly portray climate change as a key driver of migration from the Global South to the Global North, this narrative often simplifies complex realities and often lacks empirical foundation (Black et al., 2011). The militarisation of 'climate migration' is reinforced by public funding programmes that prioritise security concerns over comprehensive understanding, such as funding calls under the Horizon 2020 programme (Piguet et al., 2018). These narratives influence border management measures and migration policies in destination countries and perpetuate the myth of "climate migration" or "climate flight" as a security risk (Trombetta, 2014). The planned project aims to 1) identify reasons for the discrepancy between public perception and research (the current state of knowledge would then have to be analysed in the case school and then the survey would have to deepen this). 2) Identify opportunities for better communication of scientific findings. 3) Anchoring the topic permanently in science. By promoting an objective discussion and sensitisation of young scientists, the public and politicians, awareness of the complex links between climate change and migration should be raised. This will ultimately lead to more informed political decisions and a better public debate on these important issues. This project includes a three-day Fall School for Master and PhD students at CIES-Iscte.

Identifying and designing gender responsive and transformative interventions that effectively address barriers faced by caregivers in accessing services and health workers in delivering services in Guinea-Bissau and Sao Tome and Principe.  Iscte team will conduct a gender related barrier assessment and work with the government to collaboratively design interventions that will be integrated into the larger immunisation programme and primary health care. The tailored solutions proposed will address the social and structural barriers that impact the delivery of immunisation and other health services to communities with low vaccine rates. The barrier analysis and consolidation of proposed solutions will be verified with a participatory approach with stakeholders living and working in low coverage areas. Moreover, the interventions are to be integrated as part of the primary health package of each country and build the capacity of the health staff to adapt these interventions in the future.   

The EQUALS4COVID19 project aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and the physical, mental, and social well-being of the immigrant population in Portugal, and among young people, adults, and the elderly with Brazilian and Cape Verdean nationality residing in the districts of Lisbon, Faro, Porto, and Setúbal in particular. Individuals who were/were in quarantine or isolation, by infection or suspicion, will be included and several factors, from anxiety, depression, and resilience, to factors related to reconciliation between work and family, perceived social support, the situation in the face of work and financial income and expectations for the future will be considered. Considering the population subgroups in terms of nationality, gender, age, and district under study, the study has the following specific objectives: 1. Identify modifiable factors of protection or weakening of mental health in a scenario context; 2. To characterize perceived access to health services and individual protection measures; 3. To draw up recommendations for the public policy of integration of immigrants and asylum seekers and good practices for the training of health professionals as privileged agents of the promotion of mental health and well-being with respect for individual and cultural diversity.

A proposta para o projeto “Saúde em Igualdade” assenta sobre três justificações gerais. Em primeiro lugar, os instrumentos locais de política pública referente a nacionais de países terceiros latu sensu secundarizam a compreensão do acesso à saúde. De fato, as políticas de acolhimento não consideram as questões relativas a saúde, posto que o foco principal é a regularização dos procedimentos legais e administrativos sobre a entrada e permanência dos NPT. Em segundo lugar, a formação de profissionais de saúde é tida como uma boa prática no domínio do apoio psicossocial e em saúde. Em terceiro lugar, as insuficiências observáveis no Serviço Nacional de Saúde conduzem à necessidade de explorar soluções que empoderem os profissionais e ativem os seus recursos no trabalho com NPT.

The project aims to contribute to the integration of immigrant populations in Portugal through the promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in an integrated approach to health and human rights. First, a literature review will be developed to map the existing scientific evidence. Second, to obtain consensus on good practices for SRH migrant-sensitive care, a Delphi Panel will be held with three rounds and a minimum of 75 experts of various sectors (Academia, Nongovernmental Organizations, Policy-making, Health Care Practice and Civil Society Organizations), allowing the co-production of recommendations to reduce reproductive and sexual inequalities. Also, information actions will be developed to promote the sexual and reproductive rights of immigrant populations and training actions will be designed to empower healthcare professionals and promote structural changes in this area.

CONTEXT: The existing knowledge on the interplay among immigration, acculturation, and fertility is new and inconsistent, particularly regarding the sociocultural constraints to fertility. The FEMINA project emerges from three main socio-demographic factors: 1) declining fertility in Portugal, 2) the structural changes of the country over the last four decades, and 3) the significant role of immigration in increasing birth rates. Therefore, it was designed to address the complex factors of individual, social, cultural and economic order which influence the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) experiences and expectations among Cape Verdean and Portuguese Families. By combining the expertise of CIES-IUL and ISAMB-FMUL researchers in the areas of Migrations, Family, and Health Inequalities, FEMINA intends to establish a comprehensive intersectional approach to SRH as the right for all to a satisfying and safe sex life. AIMS: The overall research question (RQ) ("Does immigration and acculturation influence intersectional SRH inequalities in Portugal?") generated a number of subsidiary RQ: 1. What is the difference in the fertility gap of Portuguese native and Cape Verdean migrant women? 2. What socio-demographic factors (including migrant-specific indicators) are associated with SRH of Portuguese native and Cape Verdean migrant men and women? 3. What are the differences in the current cultural practices and future expectations related to SRH of Portuguese native and Cape Verdean migrant men and women? 4. What cultural believes and practices of Portuguese native and Cape Verdean migrant men and women support or harm positive SRH health and healthcare utilization? 5. What are the views and values of experts and stakeholders regarding tailoring SRH services to the receiving population? 6. How can SRH services be more integrative of cognitions and practices from immigrants’ cultures of origin? METHODS: To answer these RQ, a multimethod research was designed to explore both...

nascer.pt - the Laboratory for the Social Studies on Childbirth is a permanent research unit, launched in 2017 and hosted by CIES-IUL. Its aim is to foster knowledge about the conditions and characteristics of childbirth in Portugal, to contribute to the consolidation of the Sociology of childbirth and, at the same time, to develop synergies between structures and multidisciplinary approaches in the study of childbirth, both at national and international level. Through the production and dissemination of scientific information, nascer.pt comes to improve the discussion around policies, practices and paradigms of the childbirth.