Brazil and Portugal roll out expanded digital and voucher health services for youth

Brazil’s Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNICEF, launched the free “Pode Falar” digital platform to provide mental‑health care for adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 24. The service begins with a chatbot for initial listening, then connects users to supervised psychologists, doctors and educators for live consultations. It can handle up to 11,000 appointments each month and operates from 08:00 to 22:00 Brasília time via www.podefalar.org.br.

Portugal’s government announced that free psychologist and nutritionist vouchers are now available to all young people aged 12 to 35, removing the previous restriction to university students. The vouchers now allow unlimited consultations, and provider fees have been increased to €40 per session. Requests are made through the gov.pt portal using the Mobile Digital Key. The measure, part of the Cuida‑te programme and managed by the Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ), was formalised with the Portuguese Orders of Psychologists and Nutritionists.