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About

The Portuguese League for Social Prophylaxis (LPPS) is a Non-Profit Organization funded in 1924 with the aim of raising awareness, educating and positively act on pressing social problems. LPPS’ activity focuses particularly on health issues, despite its statutory purpose is also to promote inclusion and social welfare.

With a relevant history in the field of Portuguese Public Health promotion, LPPS has an extensive experience in social intervention and public awareness, areas in which it has been a pioneer in the defence of social rights.

Currently, LPPS particularly invests on health education by implementing multi-strategy intervention designs to promote and increase beneficiaries’ personal, social and professional capacities and to co-construct empowerment paths for personal and community development.

Our social work is therefore guided by a holistic approach that seeks the improvement of the citizens’ bio-psycho-social well-being throughout their life cycle.

Projects in progress

ADOMI

In progress since 2001, ADOMI is one of the most important projects of LPPS. It provides home support for dependent persons living alone or without family assistance and is funded by the Portuguese Social Security system, which makes it almost costless for its beneficiaries.

ADOMI has been under some changes in last few years. It was created to assist drug addicts and HIV positive persons in Oporto city, but the social reality of the city has been pressing LPPS to expand its beneficiaries. Nowadays, ADOMI serves almost exclusively elderly people of the city. It has currently 35 users, and 23 is 65+ years old, which is a clear consequence of the demographic ageing affecting Portugal.

Taking such changes into account, the updated principles and objectives of the project are:

To improve the quality of life and health of the dependent persons;
To ensure physical and psychological care, as well as social support;
To promote autonomous accomplishment, whenever possible, of the everyday life basic tasks (to eat, showering, dressing, etc.);
To encourage and strength the relationships between the elder person and his/her family and peers;
To collaborate in the promotion of health care access;
To avoid institutionalization and social exclusion of the dependent person;
To prevent situations of exacerbated dependency.

Home Care Services: Registration Open

LPPS informs that registrations for Home Care Services are now open. The services are provided by skilled professionals and include the following: personal hygiene and household cleaning; laundry services; food delivery services; specialized psychosocial support. For more information please contact the Portuguese League for Social Prophylaxis by calling +351 223 324 445 or through email: adomi@lpps.pt.

LPPS History

LPPS activity was initiated in 1924 by the hand of its founders – António Magalhães, Emídio Candido Gil da Costa and Henrique Veiga Pires, three young doctors anxious to fight some of the most evident causes of public health problems that were marking the Portuguese reality at the time.

Pathologies that are currently taken as easily controllable or even rare in the present scene of public health (such as syphilis, tuberculosis, tetanus, leprosy, among others) had at the time a dramatic impact on families and individuals lives, with huge impact on Portuguese society. Problems such as child prostitution and extreme poverty were making up a scenario of weak health and social ailment within Oporto community, and then demanding severe actions with strong impact on its causes. This encouraged the first health education program of LPPS.

More than treat the diseases and assist people in situations of greater social vulnerability, LPPS tried to raise awareness and reduce risk behaviours, preventing the development of diseases and its dramatic consequences to social cohesion and wellbeing. Some social education campaigns were particularly relevant, and had notable impact on twentieth-century society.

How to support

Become a volunteer

Regardless of your age, profession or study area, if you we intend to collaborate with LPPS voluntarily there are many activities in which we need and will value you dedication, time and work. At LPPS, we believe that people are the engine of social change. If you wish to help us to build a better society, you may do so by institutional volunteering, helping us to optimize the inner resources of LPPS, or by volunteering on LPPS projects, then having the opportunity to go outside and carry out activities directly with the public. There are many advantages in volunteering at LPPS. Here you can affect your time to a cause that you embrace, you can find a way to escape from job concerns and to develop a collective activity with many social benefits; if you are unemployed, you’ll find a way to enhance your CV and be certified for your activities as a volunteer… Additionally, you will benefit of the same advantages of our associated members. Also, if you are a parent, you’ll find at LPPS a small organization where your children can develop active citizenship dispositions. Remember that occasionally, just being a good listener makes a huge difference in the life of an elderly person, a parent, or a young person. So if you have the time and motivation, do not hesitate to volunteer.

Become a member

Becoming an associated member of LPPS brings you many advantages, specifically:

You have full and exclusive access to annual financial and activities’ reports of the institution (you may choose to request this annual reports by electronic or postal mail or in person at LPPS);
You benefit of full and free access to LPPS library and documental collection;
You benefit of 10% discount on any non-free services of LPPS;
You can buy books or any other LPPS publications with 10% discount;
You receive freely the periodical Newsletter of LPPS by electronic mail;
You may take advantage of LPPS services that are specifically conceived for associated members and their families (training programs, seminars, physical activity days, etc.)

Other advantages

Benefits in healthcare institutions:

Liga das Associações Mutualistas do Porto:
- This institution provides Healthcare services with low fees. You will find the informations about fees and specialties available here.

Note: Partnership protocols are being negotiated with other institutions to widen the range of benefits offered to associated members of the Portuguese League for Social Prophylaxis. Stay tuned for updates!