Associação Protectora dos Diabéticos de Portugal (APDP) has been awarded an operational grant by the BPI Solidarity Award | la Caixa Foundation 2021 for its project “Access to Health: Integrating Migrants with Diabetes in Healthcare”.
In Portugal, migrant flows have generated a debate about the integration of people from different socio-cultural patterns. Access to healthcare for immigrant people is often hampered by lack of knowledge of the local language, irregular legal status, or lack of familiarity with the procedures in place within the national healthcare system.
The “Access To Health: Integrating Migrants with Diabetes in Healthcare” project, developed in collaboration with local health and social care authorities, aims to increase effective access to healthcare for immigrant citizens, refugees and ethnic minorities living with diabetes. A specialised multidisciplinary team from the Portuguese Diabetes Association (APDP Diabetes Portugal) will provide health and social support, safety and protection against COVID-19, and will also try to cover unmet needs in terms of medication, with the ultimate objective of achieving social inclusion, improving health status and diabetes outcomes.