Environmental health in Portugal has come a long way since its humble origins in the early 20th century. As in the UK, it is undergoing a transformation, with EHOs increasingly focusing on emerging risks such as radiation, pesticides and on carrying out epidemiological studies.
The founding of a public health professional body in 1910 coincided with the abolition of the monarchy and formation of the Portuguese Republic. At that time, most of the professionals were public health doctors, sanitary engineers and sanitary officers. Their main duties covered public nuisance inspections and the improvement of basic sanitation.
E é assim que Portugal e a nossa Saúde Ambiental – e os seus técnicos (nós) – aparecem em destaque no Environmental Health News do Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
O colega Eduardo Figueiredo, responsável pelas relações internacionais da Sociedade Portuguesa de Saúde Ambiental, aponta as grandes diferenças do desempenho dos Técnicos de Saúde Ambiental entre Portugal e a Grã-Bretanha, com especial relevância para os poderes (que não temos).
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