Shaping a data-driven local health plan through community engagement in Cascais, Portugal

Issue

Public health planning does not always translate into coordinated local action. In Cascais (Portugal), a renewed process was required to connect epidemiological data with community perspectives, define priorities and support multisectoral action.

Description

Since 2023, Western Lisbon Local Health Unit has developed a public, digital Health Profile, updated annually, integrating demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, mortality, morbidity, behavioral, health service and community resource data. Priority-setting combined meetings with key stakeholders, an initial digital consultation (103 responses), a digital prioritization process (1037 responses) and epidemiological weighting, including mortality analysis adapted from the Global Burden of Disease study. The Local Health Plan prioritized 5 health problems, 5 behavioral risk factors, and 5 social and economic determinants. Objectives and strategies were co-designed in 8 multisectoral groups, followed by public consultation.

Results

Cascais Health Profile and Local Health Plan 2025–2030 achieved over 6,000 website visits within 3 months and were disseminated through 2 public events. Early implementation outcomes included media dissemination, mobilization through existing local networks, identification of 20 organizations willing to formalize commitments, and integration of priorities into municipal health governance. However, ensuring broad and inclusive participation remains a key challenge. A monitoring framework comprising 9 process indicators and 34 impact indicators was established, and a formal evaluation planned for 2027. The process was highlighted in WHO’s IMPULSO project and shared with Public Health Units.

Lessons

Combining publicly available epidemiological data with community engagement in an implementation-oriented process helped turn local planning into action. This offers a transferable model for health services seeking to align public health intelligence and community engagement.

Key messages

• Combining public dashboards, epidemiological methods and community engagement can turn local health planning into practical implementation.

• In Cascais (Portugal), early implementation was strengthened by existing local networks, formal commitments, and integration into municipal governance.