Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde

What Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde does

Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde (SPLS) is a Portuguese non-profit scientific society founded in 2022 and headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal, with 18 employees and 200+ members across healthcare, social, cultural, and education sectors. The organization's stated mission is the promotion, development, and improvement of health literacy practice in Portugal, addressed through a portfolio of community intervention programs (RITMO, ATIVAR, ACOLHER, MOV.ONIC@), a youth-facing digital platform (Young2HL), a scientific journal (Revista Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde), and the first Health Literacy Manual published in Portugal. Underlying technology consists of digital platforms and multimedia content for health literacy education rather than a unified software product; SPLS operates as a society and program-delivery organization rather than a technology vendor.

SPLS generates revenue through individual and collective membership fees (collected via Google Forms, annual cadence, pricing undisclosed), book sales of its publications through major Portuguese retailers (WOOK, FNAC, Bertrand, Almedina), and fees from training programs, workshops, and educational events. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, reaching members and the public through professional networks, multi-stakeholder collaborations, webinars, school and senior-university programs, and commemorative health-day interventions. Distribution is multi-channel, spanning direct membership recruitment, retail book distribution, regional government programs (notably the Azores Regional Program for Health Literacy Promotion), and the globally accessible Young2HL digital platform.

Strategic positioning is reinforced by partnerships with UNICEF Portugal (Aliança pela Prevenção), the Azores Regional Government, Direção-Geral da Educação, EU-CiP, Casa Ronald McDonald Portugal, and pharmaceutical sponsors (Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Viatris), alongside international endorsements from Professor Don Nutbeam and Dr. Kristine Sørensen. SPLS has been recognized as a Global Champion of Social Prescribing 2026 and Global Researcher 2026, and its President sits on the Healthcare Excellence Award 2025 jury. As a non-profit, the organization does not raise venture or private equity funding and reports no revenue publicly; financial sustainability rests on membership dues, book sales, event/training fees, pharma sponsorship, and regional government program contracts.

Name

Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde

Legal name

Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde

Website

https://splsportugal.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SPLS is a Portuguese non-profit scientific society founded in 2022 that promotes health literacy through community programs, publications, training, and partnerships, serving healthcare professionals, educators, vulnerable populations, and the public across Portugal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Literacy Education and Promotion

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Health & Wellbeing Curriculum (EDAGAAAF)

Keywords

• Health literacy promotion
• Scientific society membership
• Community health programs
• Patient education resources
• Health literacy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Portugal

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual and collective membership fees from healthcare professionals, social workers, educators, and other stakeholders joining the scientific society
2. Book Sales: Sale of health literacy publications including the Manual de Literacia em Saúde and Youth Voices books through retailers including WOOK, FNAC, Bertrand, and Almedina
3. Event Registration and Training: Revenue from training programs, workshops, and educational events for health literacy promotion

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SPLS is a non-profit scientific society that promotes, develops, and improves health literacy practice in Portugal. It delivers community intervention programs (RITMO, ATIVAR, ACOLHER, MOV.ONIC@, Young2HL, Escola Paciente-Professor), publishes scientific content (Manual de Literacia em Saúde, Revista Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde, Youth Voices books, Guia de Recursos sobre a Dor), runs webinars and training events, and coordinates the Regional Program for Health Literacy Promotion in the Azores. Its customers include healthcare professionals (members), students, seniors, refugees, chronic disease patients, and the general public.

Product overview

The Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde (SPLS) is a non-profit scientific society that offers a portfolio of health literacy products and programs rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include the Manual de Literacia em Saúde (the first Health Literacy Manual in Portugal) and the Revista Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde (RPLS) scientific journal. The society delivers community intervention programs such as RITMO (sensory experience in physical activity and well-being), ATIVAR (medication safety in senior universities), ACOLHER (health screenings for refugees), and Young2HL (digital platform for youth). Additional programs include MOV.ONIC@ for chronic disease patients, Escola Paciente-Professor for patient advocacy, and the webinar series "Com a Saúde não se brinca" covering vaccination, cardiology, and mental health. The organization also publishes health literacy guides, supports school programs, and coordinates the Regional Program for Health Literacy Promotion in the Azores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Manual de Literacia em Saúde (Health Literacy Manual)

Quantifiable outcome

• SPLS integrates the Aliança pela Prevenção of UNICEF Portugal, expanding reach to national child and adolescent health prevention programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• UNICEF Portugal - Aliança pela PrevençãocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2025SPLS integrates the Aliança pela Prevenção (Prevention Alliance) of UNICEF Portugal, a prestigious national partnership focused on child and adolescent health prevention programs. This partnership aligns SPLS with international child health standards and expands its reach to vulnerable youth populations.
• Governo Regional dos AçorescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SPLS serves as partner entity in the development and implementation of the Regional Program for Health Literacy Promotion in the Azores Autonomous Region. This is a flagship regional program coordinated by SPLS.
• Casa Ronald McDonald PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPLS collaborated with Casa Ronald McDonald Portugal to develop research study on the impact of family support in pediatric disease contexts. The study received excellence rating and demonstrates SPLS's research capabilities in health literacy.
• Direção-Geral da Educação (DGE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPLS partners with DGE on school health literacy programs including the Literacia em Saúde nas Escolas initiative and other educational interventions targeting students.
• EU-CiP - EU Cancer Information ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPLS participates in the EU Cancer Information Project, a European initiative to improve access to cancer information. This project demonstrates SPLS's active engagement in European health initiatives.
• Global Health Literacy AcademymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPLS has connections with the Global Health Literacy Academy and its founder Kristine Sørensen, who endorsed the society and participates in international health literacy advocacy.
• International Health Literacy AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPLS maintains connections with the International Health Literacy Association and participates in global health literacy initiatives including the Global Social Prescribing Summit.
• Sydney Health PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPLS received endorsement from Professor Don Nutbeam of Sydney Health Partners, demonstrating international recognition and connections with leading global health institutions.
• Vidas Reais, Causas ReaissupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSPLS partners with the association Vidas Reais, Causas Reais for school health literacy programs, combining expertise in health education and social causes.
• Instituto Superior de Ciências da EducaçãosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPLS partners with LiterAGE4ALL project led by Instituto Superior de Ciências da Educação to increase digital competencies in adults.
• Associação Portuguesa de AVC (APAVC)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSPLS participates in APAVC anniversary celebrations and collaborative activities related to stroke awareness and cardiovascular health.
• Pharmaceutical Partners (Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Viatris)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple pharmaceutical companies support SPLS through website development and organizational partnerships, enabling health literacy initiatives and programs.
• Healthcare and Academic InstitutionssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners include Hospital do Futuro, Instituto de Farmácia, Ordem dos Farmacêuticos,多家医院和学术机构, contributing to SPLS's multidisciplinary approach to health literacy.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Health Literacy Association: Global membership association dedicated to health literacy research, advocacy, and practice — directly comparable to SPLS as a peer scientific society in the same field. SPLS explicitly maintains connections with IHLA and its president Kristine Sørensen.
• Global Health Literacy Academy: International organization providing health literacy training, advisory services, and research — closely comparable to SPLS in mission and activities. Founded by Kristine Sørensen, who directly endorses SPLS.
• Health Literacy Europe: European-level network advancing health literacy policy and practice across EU member states — directly comparable regional peer operating in SPLS's same category and sharing common European funding ecosystems.

Regional players

• Fundación para la Educación y la Investigación en Salud (Spain): Iberian regional peer focused on health education and literacy in Spain — comparable in mission, organizational form, and target audience but operates in a different national market.
• Associação Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar (APMGF): Portuguese scientific society for general practice/family medicine — comparable as a Portuguese national health scientific society with multidisciplinary member base and government engagement, though focused on a clinical specialty rather than health literacy.
• Ordem dos Farmacêuticos (Portugal): Portuguese professional regulatory body and membership organization for pharmacists — comparable as a Portuguese health membership organization with government partnerships and educational programming, intersecting SPLS's pharmacy-focused member segment.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care: National health body overseeing safety, quality, and health literacy standards in Australia — comparable as a broader incumbent that has institutionalized health literacy work, with whom SPLS is connected via Don Nutbeam (Sydney Health Partners).
• National Health Service (NHS) Health Literacy program: UK national health system with dedicated health literacy programs embedded in patient communication and provider training — a broader incumbent demonstrating how health literacy work can scale at a national system level.
• World Health Organization Health Literacy programme: WHO runs global health literacy initiatives and produces reference frameworks (e.g., Shanghai Declaration on Health Literacy) — a broad incumbent that defines the policy context in which SPLS operates.

Others

• UNICEF Portugal: Strategic partner rather than competitor, but comparable in operating model as a Portuguese entity running health, education, and child-focused programs with government and donor funding — relevant for understanding SPLS's organizational scaling pathway.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde