Évora Regional Forum: Vulnerability in Old Age
Within the framework of the “States General of Bioethics” project, an initiative of the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences (CNECV), the Évora Regional Forum took place on 28 April 2026, in Room 1 of the Átrio da Pomba at the Hospital do Espírito Santo de Évora. The meeting was held between 10:00 and 13:00 under the theme “The National Council of Ethics under discussion – Vulnerability in Old Age”.
The forum aimed to promote reflection on the role, mission and challenges of the CNECV, while fostering dialogue on ethical issues related to ageing, particularly with regard to the protection and recognition of older people in situations of greater vulnerability.
The session, organised by Council Member Pedro Fevereiro and Council Members Lurdes Martins and Margarida Godinho Costa, opened with welcoming remarks by Maria Helena Gonçalves, Clinical Director for Primary Health Care at the Central Alentejo Local Health Unit (ULSAC). This was followed by an institutional presentation of the “States General of Bioethics” project, delivered by Council Member Lurdes Martins. The presentation addressed the mission, competences, composition and main activities of the CNECV, as well as the core objectives of this initiative of public consultation and ethical reflection.
The event brought together around 20 representatives from different sectors of society, including higher education institutions, namely the University of Évora, representatives from programmes in the fields of health and social sciences, as well as student representative bodies. Also in attendance were representatives from ULSAC, residential care facilities for older persons, Social Security, the municipalities of Évora and Ourique, and professional bodies from the fields of medicine, psychology and law, among other entities with relevant roles in health, social support, education and ethics applied to ageing.
The discussion was structured around a roundtable with the following invited speakers:
• Fernanda Paula Martins Cunha, Caregiver
• João Porfírio, Member of an Ethics Committee
• Manuel Amoedo, President of the Ethics Committee, ULSAC
• Manuel Lopes, Coordinating Professor, São João de Deus School of Nursing, University of Évora
• Marcelo David Coelho Guerreiro, Mayor of Ourique
• Maria do Céu Pires, Philosophy Teacher, Estremoz Secondary School
• Maria Teresa Santos, Professor, University of Évora, Ethics Committee for Health, ARS Alentejo
The debate that followed addressed several ethical challenges associated with ageing, with particular emphasis on the impacts of institutionalisation on the dignity, autonomy and quality of life of older persons, as well as the need to strengthen the training of professionals and caregivers providing direct care in residential settings. It was also underlined that vulnerability is a condition that cuts across the life course, and the importance of the role of the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences in raising awareness among society and institutions about the ethical issues associated with ageing was highlighted.
