Government rejects cuts in health prevention financing

A secretary of State for Health, Ana Povo, today rejected cuts in the financing of prevention, pointing to an increase of 23.6% in the budget of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), excluding Covid-19 vaccines.

In response to criticism by MPs on the burden attributed to prevention in the State Budget for 2027, the governor explained that the amount in question concerns the budgets of the DGS and the National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge (INSA).

Ana Povo said that this year the European Covid-19 vaccine contract will end, which will be paid by local health units (ULS) and the DGS will no longer have that budget.

“ Without the value of covid vaccines, the budget of the Directorate-General for Health increases by 23.6%, from EUR 36 million to EUR 44.5 million,” he held a joint hearing in the Health and Budget, Finance and Public Administration committees in the context of the discussion in the specialty of the proposal of the State Budget Government to 2027 (OE2027).

It also highlighted the introduction of Article 118 in the State Budget this year, which provides for the conclusion of health programme contracts and the transfer of funds from the DGS priority programmes to the ULS, where it is made “a lot of health prevention”.

The Secretary of State justified the measure with the need to improve the implementation of health programmes, stating that the government found funds from priority and non-priority programmes of the DGS that were not being used, although they also benefited from funding from social games.

Ana Povo also noted that the current Government “is the first” to put effective funding into prevention programs, pointing out as an example the assignment of part of the tobacco tax revenue to these initiatives.

He explained that this revenue was previously used to pay off debt, but now he has financed prevention programmes. Among the measures envisaged is the creation of smoking cessation consultations in all ULS through funding from DGS.

However, the governor acknowledged that as the OECD said, “there is no correct clearance of all that is done in relation to prevention.”.

“Vaccination is prevention (...) screenings are prevention, taking out breast screening that is budgeted by the ACSS [Central Administration of the Health System], it is all in the ULS and this does not enter the 1% or the evaluation”, he said.

Therefore, the DGS was asked to work with ACSS to improve the survey of effective expenditure on prevention.

Regarding the financing of the INSA, Ana Povo reported a budget increase of 2.4%, adding that the Institute for Additive Behaviors and Dependencies (ICAD) benefits from a 6% increase.

Also questioned by the PAN Member Inês de Sousa Real on the rare disease strategy planned for 2027, Ana Povo has advanced that the government is working on this.

“ We have a budget for the rare disease strategy for the coming year, in 2027,” he said, explaining that “it will be within the distribution of the budget of DGS’ health programs via Social Games.

He admitted, however, that he is not yet “fine exactly” as the strategy will be designed, but reiterated that he will advance in 2027.

The Secretary of State pointed out that the preparation of this strategy does not require the approval of innovative medicines.

The proposal of the Government of the State Budget for 2027 was approved, in general, on Wednesday, in the Assembly of the Republic and the overall final vote is scheduled for November 24, after the discussion process in the specialty.