Portugal’s poorest familes, 140,000 of them, do not have enough money for adequate food.
Many now are reliant on the country’s food bank system, with family heads saying that their lack of income means the quantity and quality of food they have available for consumption is severly compromised.
Helena Canhão, coordinator of the nutrition research project run by the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, said "It's a serious public health problem and it has great impact not only on people's health but also on the entire health system in the country.”
"Individuals with food insecurity reported a poorer quality of life and capacity to function. They also show a greater propensity for chronic diseases such as diabetes, depression and rheumatic problems," added the researcher in a statement that noted that the risk of diabetes and rheumatic diseases was about 1.6 times higher in this group.
Despite economic data showing a lowering of unemployment and a rise in disposable incomes among low-earning groups, the data collected shows that between 2015 and 2016, 19.3% of the Portuguese population were 'food insecure,' that is, their access to a healthy diet was limited.
The situation is even more worrying in the Açores and Madeira. In these autonomous regions, the proportion of families living in food insecurity was around 29%.
Taking into account the results of the National Health Survey 2005-2006, which indicated that 16.7% of the population was food insecure, researchers from the University argue that the worsening situation in the last decade "reflects the impact of the economic crisis" on Portuguese families.
Portugal’s 21 food banks currently support 2,700 partner institutions which in turn help 426,000 people through daily donations of food and home-made meals, also providing day centres and support for the homeless.
In addition to food, many institutions provide home support and in-home help and help with personal hygiene, especially for the elderly and infirm.
Between 22,000 and 25,000 people are in need of food aid in the Algarve, according to the latest estimate by Nuno Alves, the head of the Food Bank in the Algarve region, which already supports 16,000 poor people through 70 local institutions.
