In statements to the Lusa agency, the executive director of the Dignitude Association, Maria João Toscano, said that the population's adherence to this campaign has remained "very constant", with the average donation value increasing slightly to 70 cents (about 10 cents more) than in the last campaign in December 2023 and compared to previous years.

In the last campaign, around 21 thousand euros were raised, she said, explaining that all donations are aggregated in the Abem: solidarity fund, which is "audited with full transparency", and whose sole mission is to contribute to the cost of medicines for those in need.

The association stresses that the Abem: program aims to allow "dignified access to prescribed medicines for those who do not have the financial capacity to purchase them, covering the non-state-subsidised amount on the prescription.

To this end, the beneficiary has access to the abem: Card, which they only need to present at a pharmacy to be able to purchase the subsidised medicines prescribed to them, at no cost to themselves.

"Sometimes a few cents are enough for us to ensure that these more vulnerable people can access their medicines, control their illness and actually have more dignity and better health," she stressed.

Maria João Toscano said that the program is spread throughout the country, but explained that it only enters a specific region of the country with the support of a local partner, which may be a private social solidarity institution (IPSS) or a local authority.

"We are currently in 169 municipalities and have 191 local entities that are our partners, which are the entities that, in close proximity, are able to identify the most vulnerable families that are part of the Abem: program," she said.

The association's executive director appealed to the Portuguese to participate in this campaign, by making a donation at their pharmacy or by MB WAY or bank transfer.

According to the Sustainable Health Index developed by the Nova Information Management School, one in 10 Portuguese people have not purchased prescribed medicines because they do not have the money to pay for them.

The beneficiaries of this program are citizens who are in a proven situation of socioeconomic need, referred by local partner entities, such as local authorities, IPSS, Cáritas and Misericórdias that are part of a collaborative network.

Abem: is present throughout the country, including the autonomous regions, and is based on a network of partnerships that ensures the solidarity circuit of the medicine.

The founding members of Dignitude were António Arnaut, António Ramalho Eanes, Francisco Carvalho Guerra, João Gonçalves da Silveira, João Cordeiro, Maria de Belém Roseira, Odette Santos Ferreira and Ana Paula Martins.

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